Spiralized Broccoli and Chicken Cheesy Marinara Bake

Spiralized Broccoli and Chicken Cheesy Marinara Bake

Spiralizing broccoli is tricky, but possible. If you’ve never had spiralized broccoli before, your mind...

Spiralized Broccoli and Chicken Cheesy Marinara Bake

Spiralizing broccoli is tricky, but possible.

If you’ve never had spiralized broccoli before, your mind will be blown when you have it – it has a texture similar to that of an al dente spaghetti noodle.

Plus, it’s pretty cool to literally use 100% of a vegetable (because, of course, you can use the florets too!)

When my girl Gina from Skinnytaste made this Roasted Broccoli Parmesan, I immediately thought of this dish – why not spiralize the stems, toss it together and add some chicken for protein to make this a comforting, complete dish.

Spiralized Broccoli and Chicken Cheesy Marinara Bake

If you don’t eat meat/chicken, this would work really well with Great Northern or cannellini beans. If you eat tofu, some roasted tofu cubes would be great as well.

It’s also a fun dish to eat, it’s like a mini indulgence to share with someone else — or just keep the leftovers for yourself. Speaking of leftovers, this dish reheats well, so pack it for lunch!

Spiralized Broccoli and Chicken Cheesy Marinara Bake
If you can’t find a broccoli stem large enough to spiralize, use any other veggie — everything goes with melted mozzarella and tomato sauce! Just keep the moisture content low, so avoid zucchini noodles. Instead, try sweet potato noodles for some more heartiness!

Comfort meals like this make me so happy this time of year. It reminds me of family and all of the enjoyable things in life – like cheese 🙂

 

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 6 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

Spiralized Broccoli and Chicken Cheesy Marinara Bake

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into cubes
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 large head of broccoli stem spiralized with Blade D, florets chopped
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth low sodium
  • 1/3 cup jarred marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Heat the oil in a medium oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add in the chicken and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for 7 minutes or until no longer pink on the inside and lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate. Add in the broccoli and broccoli noodles, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Add in the chicken broth, toss, and cook for 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
  • Add back the cooked chicken and remove from the heat and pour over the marinara sauce and stir to combine.
  • Place the mixture into a small casserole dish or keep it in the skillet and top with the cheese and bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Spiralized Broccoli & Chicken Cheesy Marinara Bake

with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • Why do you use garlic and onion powder instead of the real thing ? I find the powder makes things more salty. Correct me if I am wrong but surely natural ingredients are better for you ?
    • They shouldn't make things salty unless they are garlic salt or onion salt, which are different than garlic powder and onion powder. I don't think that they could be worse for you since they're just a dehydrated version of the real thing.
  • Ali, What brand of marinara sauce do you like for this recipe and flavor?
  • So glad you're using meat in some recipes. We're not all vegans and vegetarians. Keep it up!
  • Lol, actually I'm always happy and grateful when you share vegetarian or vegan recipes, but second best is when you share some vegetarian suggestions to turn a meat-y dish meatless but still delicious and hearty. Thank you! :-)
  • Looks tasty. Haven't tried it yet but I wonder about switching it up with a low cal white sauce and cheddar instead of mozza. and call it a riff on chicken divan
  • Hi, Ali, So sorry to hear about the backlash in your post about working with Trump. It had apparently been deleted before I could read it, but I am interested in reading what you have to say. But I'm even sorrier that you lost your grandma. It is so hard to lose someone we love and we will always miss them. The pain does get better with time, but allow yourself time to grieve. I love broccoli and this recipe sounds terrific. I just got some in my CSA and will try this if it cools down. And without the meat, it would be a great side dish with a barbecue for this weekend.
    • Thank you for your support, Jill! We're so glad you'll be trying this recipe!
  • I make this almost every week....it is RIDICULOUSLY good. I usually tweak recipes, but not this one!
  • This recipe is outstandingly delicious. I am not a huge broccoli fan but with a spicy maraina (my favorite flavour) and cheese on top...what's not to love. Thank you for your continued inspiration. P.S. This dish was almost better for lunch the next day! Perfect for our cold Canadian winters.
  • Hi, Where can I find nutritional info on all your recipes? I am finding it hard to use them because I have no way to enter my calories, etc. in my app. Thank you!
    • Hi Amy! We suggest just entering the ingredients into your tracker app if you're interested in these details!