April 21, 2015
updated
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Looking to transform your family’s favorite weeknight meals into easy lunches? I have everything you need!
This skillet chicken broccoli alfredo is one my family loves. It comes together in just a few minutes when I’m making dinner, and it tastes even better packed in a thermos the next day. Let me show you how.
Easy Weeknight Meal Packed for Lunch
There’s just no way around it. Getting meals on the table during the hustle and bustle of a weeknight is challenging. How can you feed your family a filling, nutritious meal and not spend the entire evening in the kitchen? Well, all you need to answer this question is a skillet and a few simple ingredients. Within minutes this Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Recipe will come together and leave both you and your family feeling good.
Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested
How to Pack Chicken Alfredo in a Thermos
Last night’s pasta is always a hit for lunches the next day. It gives us a switch from the regular wraps, salads, and sandwiches, and my kids are always down for pasta! Here’s how to pack this recipe as a hot lunch:
- Preheat a thermos
Fill a thermos container with boiling water, top with the lid, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. - Reheat the food
In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the pasta to a piping HOT temperature, I recommend adding 2-3 tablespoons water per cup of cold pasta to prevent it from drying out. - Prepare for shipment
Carefully transfer the hot pasta to the warmed thermos. Seal and pack the thermos into a lunch bag.
If you’re looking for a sturdy, double-insulated thermos container, here are several of my favorite options.
Want to pack cold items in the same lunch bag as this hot thermos lunch? The video below will show you how to do just that!
That was easy enough! If you want more hot lunch ideas from leftovers, I’ve got them all right here! Now you can make healthy dinners and lunches, but you only have to cook once. Repurposing dinners for a healthy lunch is one of the best ways to get good food in a lunchbox and thankfully, it’s one of the easiest too.
For more easy meal ideas, like this one, subscribe to our meal plans where you’ll get fresh lunch or dinner ideas sent to you weekly!
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Thermos
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 12 ounces broccoli florets, chopped
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin diagonal slices
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk, or more, as needed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.
- In the final 3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to the pasta and cook the remaining time. Drain pasta.
- In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes before flipping and cooking an additional 2 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and set aside.
- Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, and cook, whisking constantly until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add in ⅓ cup Parmesan until well combined, about 1 minute. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed.
- Stir in the pasta, broccoli, and chicken.
- Serve and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
- To pack for lunch, preheat a thermos.
- Fill the thermos with hot chicken pasta and seal.
- Pack in a lunch bag with your choice of snacks and ice pack.
Jocelyn
Printing to make this next week for my meal plan. It looks easy and pleasing, my kind of meal. My kids don’t like sauce so will serve it on the side so they can preview by dipping it but I will enjoy it all mixed together. Thanks.
LL
A great one that everyone loves!!!!
Becky Elfert
Finally found something that the kiddo really liked for dinner. I don’t know if it was good because I don’t eat meat, but it must be because he snarfed it down!
MOMables - Laura
Glad the kiddo liked it!
Jennifer Brillantes
Wow, I am actually going to attempt this right now!
MOMables
Awesome!
Kathleen W.
Quick and tasty with leftovers for lunch !
Leticia
I slow-cooked a whole chicken yesterday, so I’m thinking this is definitely a dinner this week! thanks!
MOMables
Enjoy!
Matt Robinson
The perfect, easy, weeknight meal, and even better leftovers. Love this!
MOMables
Matt!!! where have you been? lol. this is definitely an easy-peasy kind of dinner. thanks for visiting the recipe!