Sheet Pan Alfredo Chicken & Broccoli | Paleo, Whole30

With Spring Break over and our normal work-week routine back in full swing - I've had simple, one dish meals on my mind.  And with a busy schedule PLUS being on a Whole30?  I was in serious need of some simple meals I could make on-the-fly without making endless trips to the grocery store (which is sometimes the way it goes when Whole30ing... am I right?)

One of my favorite compliant dishes here on my blog is my Paleo Chicken Alfredo "Pasta".  And while I believe every minute of cooking that spaghetti squash, grilling the chicken, and blending then simmering the sauce is absolutely worth the end result... I'm going to be honest:  I don't always have that many minutes to spend on dinner, especially during the work week.

So I set out to recreate the incredible garlicky Alfredo flavor of that same sauce with juicy chicken and crisp broccoli, but with just one pan and one cooking method.

Just pop this sheet pan of chicken tenders smothered in rich, creamy sauce into your oven, and you're just about 30 minutes away from the most deliciously simple dinner ever.  Stating that "chicken and broccoli" are what's for dinner will no longer cause moans and groans of boredom from your family, because this stuff is seriously GOOD.

It's all about that sauce:  it seals in the chicken's juiciness and bakes down to the perfect thick & creamy consistency.  Turn the broiler on for the last few minutes, and it even browns a little - and looks so yummy!  The broccoli cooks for the last half of the time only so it gets perfectly tender-crisp with some lightly crunchy edges from the broiling...

I could go on all day, you guys!  We seriously loved this easy meal, and will be going back to it time and time again.  I hope you enjoy this Whole30 & Paleo addition to your menu!  Please let us all know how it turns out, and if you make any creative changes... I'd love to hear!

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders*
• 12 oz bag of broccoli florets (equivalent to about 4 or 5 cups)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, for drizzling

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
• 1/4 of a white onion, minced
• 2 to 3 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp ghee or olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each:  Italian seasoning, salt & pepper (plus more seasoning to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. While the oven preheats, make your sauce.  In a blender or food processor, pulse all sauce ingredients (cashews, coconut milk, broth, onion, garlic, ghee, and seasonings) until smooth.
3. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and lay onto the lined baking sheet.  Season lightly with salt & pepper.  Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and add the broccoli to the pan, drizzling with the tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkling with salt & pepper to taste.  Spoon the Alfredo sauce generously over the chicken (you can add some to the broccoli too, if you'd like!)
5. Return the pan to the oven, and continue baking for 15 more minutes.  Broil for an additional 5 minutes at the end for some browning.
6. Serve hot, and enjoy!

*Notes:

• If you'd like to use chicken breasts instead of tenders, add about 10 minutes to step 3 to ensure that the breasts get enough cooking time.