Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells with a Creamy Chive Sauce:
What it took for four (with maybe a little bit of leftovers?):
* 1 (12 oz) box jumbo shells (I used about 3/4th of the box)
* 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
* 1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and wrung dry
* 1( 4oz ) jar pimentos
* 2 Tbs. butter
* 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
* 2 cups milk
* 1 (8 oz) tub chive and onion cream cheese
* freshly chopped chives, for garnish
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat your oven to 350.
Boil the shells until they’re al dente. Drain and set aside.
While the shells cook, prep the filling. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, broccoli, pimentos and a sprinkling of the salt and pepper.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Once the foam starts to subside, add the flour. Whisk on low until it becomes a medium brown color, about 5 minutes. You made a roux! Add the milk and whisk to incorporate. Add the chive and onion cream cheese and whisk until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. Not crazy thick, just creamy. Like a cream sauce. You get it. Never mind.
Add about half a cup of the sauce to the chicken mix. Stir to combine.
Using your fingers, stuff each shell with the chicken mix. Don’t worry about using a fork to get the mix in. It will take way too long. And you have more control and GUSTO (I don’t know) with the stuffing of the shells.
Pour a little of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Arrange the shells side by the side in the dish, pouring the remaining sauce evenly over the shells.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is a little bubbly.
Garnish with freshly chopped chives and dig.in.for.the.love.of.the.baby.ponies.