Get ready:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2lb broccoli florets, blanched
• 2 Tsp butter
• 2 Tsp flour
• 3 cup whole milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 Tsp butter, cubed
• salt and black pepper

Now let’s play:

Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to broil. Pour in the rice, stir, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then use a fork to fluff the rice up. Set aside. Heat up olive oil in a saute pan. Add cubed chicken breasts with garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cook through, and then set aside. In a sauce pan, melt 2 Tsp of butter, and then whisk in flour till there is no lump. Pour in milk. Add Cheddar and Parmesan when milk is warm (should never not be broiled).  Whisk till the sauce runs smooth. Season up with salt and pepper to taste. Combine cooked rice, chicken, broccoli, and sauce in a large bowl. Pour into a 9*13 baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cubed butter on the top. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or till the top is golden brown. Let the casserole for 15 minutes on the countertop before serving (about 8 servings).

After-play thoughts:

I prefer using white pepper here, as it’s more aesthetically appealing and has a more blend-in peppery flavor.

Get Ready:

• 1 lb Rotini Pasta, cooked
• 1.5 lb broccoli florets, cooked
• 2 Tsp granulated garlic
• 1 Tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp dried basil leaves
• 3/4 cup sliced black olives
• 5 Tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Now let’s play:

Toss everything together.

After-play thougths:

I think Rotini is the best shape of pasta for this recipe, but you can substitute it with any other shape desired. Also, there are couple of ways to cook broccoli – saute, bake, blanch, steam, etc. The best and simplest way I find is to use a very large pot for cooking pasta, pour broccoli into the pot 3 minutes before the pasta is done, and then drain the whole thing.