Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli

So I recently found out that broccoli is one of the best veggies you can eat. Amazingly, it is also one of the veggies this picky girl will eat. Halleluah! Haha. But anyway...broccoli always tastes better with cheese. And dinner at my house usually contains some sort of meat or protein. So put all that together, and what do you have? Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli. This was kind of an experiment, and I was very happy with the outcome. I ate the leftovers the next day for lunch, and if I can eat something twice in a row like that, it has to be good. Haha. So, without further ado, Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli.

Ingredients:
-Chicken breasts (I made a smaller casserole, so I only used one large one)
-Broccoli-as much as you want. For my small casserole, I used just about one head of it. Cut it into smaller florets.
-Egg noodles-I used a half package of them
-3 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons flour
-1 cup heavy cream
-1 cup 2% milk
-3 cups shredded cheese (I used colby jack, but use whatever), with a little bit reserved for sprinkling on the top

Directions:
Cook and cube the chicken breast(s). Set aside.

While the chicken is cooking, boil a pot of water. Add the egg noodles, and cook according to package directions. Don't overcook them, though, since they'll cook a smidge more in the oven later. Drain the noodles, but reserve the water, return it to the same pot, and reheat it to boiling (I actually just used a slotted spoon to scoop the noodles out and into my baking dish, leaving the hot water behind). Add the broccoli florets, and cook for just a couple minutes. You're basically blanching them. They'll cook more in the oven too. Drain the broccoli.

While all that's going on, melt the butter into a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the flour, and whisk it together, combining it well. Let it cook a few more minutes, whisking frequently. Add the cream and milk, and whisk everything together. Let the dairy products warm up. Then add the cheese. Stir it frequently until the cheese is melted and combined well. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the drained noodles into a glass baking dish. Add the chicken and broccoli. Pour the cheese sauce over the top of everything.
Stir it to combine everything. coat it well in the cheese sauce. Finally, sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. Bake it in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and everything is hot and bubbly and amazing. Serve immediately and enjoy!