Chicken with Broccoli in White Cheddar Sauce

Okay...I think the rain is getting to me...I had a TERRIBLE night in the kitchen! I guess it happens to the best of us--although I don't consider myself "one of the best." I had a gut feeling something was going to go wrong, but I stayed in the kitchen! I didn't have all the ingredients necessary and my butter kept burning the pan! Argh! Okay, I think I'm over it. Anyways, I love the idea of this, especially because it's from Annie's Eats. But, I just wasn't prepared. I think it had to do with a long day of work, tutoring after work, and trying to do two things at once in the kitchen. I'll put the recipe that I used below, but here's the link to Annie's dish. Good luck--I hope you have more success than I did!

Chicken with Broccoli in White Cheddar Sauce
1 chicken breast, grilled (I used the George Foreman)
8 oz. tube pasta
1 c whole milk
2 c. broccoli florets
6 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Sharp Cheddar: Vermont White)
2 T. butter
1 1/2 T. flour
1-1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 c. of the water the pasta was boiled in

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the package directions. The last couple of minutes of boiling the pasta, add in the broccoli and let the water come back to a boil for a few minutes. Turn the water off, but don't drain it until the end.

For the cheese sauce, begin by melting 2 T. of butter in a skillet. Add in the minced garlic and move around the pan quickly. Add in the 1 1/2 T. of flour and move around the pan quickly. Don't let any of this burn because you have to start over and it stinks! Add in the milk and let it thicken and begin to bubble. Add in the cheese and stir using a figure eight motion. By this time the pasta/broccoli should be done. Go ahead and drain it, reserving just 1/4 c. of the pasta water. Add that into the cheese sauce to thin it out a bit. Season the cheese sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Return the pasta/broccoli to the pot and pour the cheese sauce on top. Toss to coat and serve immediately.