What do you do when you have garlic cloves, broccoli florets, and pasta to burn through? Round up some chicken, spices, heavy cream, and butter and you’ve got yourself most of the main ingredients to fix a meal quite similar to Olive Garden’s Chicken Con Broccoli.
And since Olive Garden recently removed the dish from their menu there’s no better time than now to make it at home! My dad would agree, as Chicken Con Broccoli was his go-to meal for years and he was greatly disappointed when it suddenly went MIA. I found an enormous amount of recipes for it online – it seems everyone is trying to recreate Olive Garden’s magic at home – and I ended up going with a recipe I found on the blog The Girl Who Ate Everything. For added crispiness I drizzled the broccoli in olive oil, sprinkled on some spices, and baked it in the oven.
I thought the recipe turned out great and it pleased my dad’s picky palate as well. Although it’s not exactly Olive Garden’s smash hit, it sure comes close and is a very simple and quick meal to create at home, with many of the needed ingredients already hanging around your home. Just go easy with the dried red pepper, as I had my poor mother sneezing all night long from piling it on!
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Source: Heidi Clark
Ingredients:
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, diced
1-2 cups fresh chopped broccoli, cooked and hot
fettuccine, cooked according to package directions. (I used penne because it’s what I had)
Alfredo Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon (1 clove) minced garlic
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Cook chicken in method desired. I just cooked mine on the stove. Add chicken and broccoli to Alfredo sauce and heat through. Serve over hot, cooked fettuccine.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic with the butter. Add cream, garlic powder, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Trust me, it will thicken. When sauce has reached desired consistency, stir in Parmesan cheese. Use for Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, or just serve as is over fettuccine. Serves 4-6.