Indulge in a heartwarming culinary creation that seamlessly blends the classic comfort of mac and cheese with the savory goodness of chicken and broccoli. This delectable dish, presented in three enticing variations, promises a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. From the traditional baked mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli to the skillet version featuring a creamy sauce and a crispy cheesy topping, each recipe offers a unique twist on this beloved casserole. And for those seeking a lighter alternative, the stovetop mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli delivers a satisfying meal without compromising on taste. With its rich flavors, satisfying textures, and ease of preparation, this versatile dish is perfect for a cozy family dinner, a casual gathering, or a quick and comforting weeknight meal.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
BROCCOLI CHICKEN MAC AND CHEESE
This Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese recipe is made with a delicious cheddar-Parmesan cheesy sauce, and kicked up a notch with fresh broccoli and cooked chicken.
Provided by Ali
Time 50m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook pasta al dente** in a large stockpot of generously-salted water, according to package instructions. About 2-3 minutes before the pasta reaches al dente, add in the broccoli florets and let them cook alongside the pasta for the remainder of the cooking time. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, as the pasta water is heating, melt butter in a (separate) medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the flour until combined and cook for an additional 1 minute, whisking occasionally. Slowly whisk in vegetable or chicken stock until the mixture is smooth. Then slowly whisk in the milk until it is combined. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture comes to a simmer. Then remove from heat, and stir in the cheddar, Parmesan, salt and pepper until the cheese sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.
- Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked, pour the cheese sauce on top of the pasta, add in the chicken, and toss until everything is evenly combined.
- At this point, you can either serve the pasta stovetop-style as-is. Or pour the pasta into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with extra cheddar cheese and Panko breadcrumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the top becomes slightly crispy and the breadcrumbs are slightly golden. Remove and serve immediately.
- *To cook the chicken breasts on the stove top, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan. Pound chicken to even thickness, and sprinkle both sides with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Add to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. (Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken.) Or, to bake the chicken breasts in the oven, follow these instructions.
- **If making the baked version of this dish, I recommend ever-so-slightly undercooking your pasta, as it will cook a bit more while it bakes in the oven.
CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI MACARONI AND CHEESE
Mix Cheddar, Pecorino-Romano and Parmesan for an extra-cheesy chicken mac and cheese.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and broccoli and cook for 5 minutes; the pasta will only be about halfway cooked. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and broccoli and return them to the pot.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes; set aside.
- Put the pot with the pasta and broccoli over low heat. Stir in the milk, flour, mustard, Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the pasta is al dente, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the Cheddar, Pecorino-Romano, Parmesan, cooked chicken and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water and stir until the cheese melts. Gradually add the remaining cooking water as needed until the pasta is creamy and saucy. Serve hot.
MAC AND CHEESE WITH CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI
Choose Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli this week! This Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli features tender chicken chunks & broccoli florets.
Provided by My Food and Family
Categories Recipes
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings, 1-1/2 cups each
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Cook and stir chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 8 to 10 min. or until done.
- Add milk, water and Macaroni; stir. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 8 to 10 min. or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in Cheese Sauce and broccoli; cook and stir 5 min. or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 480, Fat 9 g, SaturatedFat 3.5 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 85 mg, Sodium 1020 mg, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 41 g
CHICKEN-AND-BROCCOLINI MAC AND CHEESE
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes
Time 55m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 3-quart broiler-proof baking dish with oil. Bring milk to a simmer in a pot. Add chicken; simmer until cooked, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Remove pot from heat; whisk in mustard and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Shred chicken. Cook noodles in a pot of boiling salted water 3 minutes. Add Broccolini; cook until noodles and Broccolini are al dente, 2 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain noodles and Broccolini; toss with chicken, sauce, pasta water, and cheddar. Transfer to baking dish.
- Toss breadcrumbs with oil; sprinkle over casserole. Cover with parchment-lined foil; bake 20 minutes. Uncover casserole; increase heat to broil. Cook until top is golden brown in places and breadcrumbs are crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.
MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN
Adaptation from Rachel Ray--really good. I added garlic to mine because to me nothing can be made without garlic =)
Provided by Kitty Kat Cook
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 35m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and chives and cook another 6 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.
- In a separate pot boil water, add pasta and salt. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and the broccoli is just tender.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and garlic and whisk together over heat until it thickens, then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk, heavy cream and stock and raise heat to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens about 5 minutes.
- Drain macaroni and broccoli florets. Add back to the pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.
- Add cheese to milk sauce and stir. Pour sauce over pasta and stir to combine.
- Put pasta in a 9" x 13" glass baking pan. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and broil for 5 minutes.
MAC AND CHEDDAR CHEESE WITH CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 35m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.
- Heat a medium pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.
- To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.
- While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens about 5 minutes.
- Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to the pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.
- Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings and transfer to a large serving platter and serve.
MAC AND CHEDDAR CHEESE WITH CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI
This is one of Rachael Ray's recipes. I have not tried it yet but, it looked so good when she made it. I plan on making this tonight.
Provided by Chef Eileen
Categories Cheese
Time 35m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.
- To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes,then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.
- Heat a medium pan over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through.
- Turn off heat and reserve.
- While pasta cooks,heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt,then add flour,cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.
- Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.
- Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in,about a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings,transfer to a large serving platter and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 818.1, Fat 35.9, SaturatedFat 19.1, Cholesterol 131.9, Sodium 587.6, Carbohydrate 73.9, Fiber 3.1, Sugar 9.4, Protein 48.6
MAC-N-CHEESE CHICKEN BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
Deluxe Mac n' Cheese is the base of this yummy and filling casserole. Can also be made without the meat for a vegetarian dish.
Provided by mondster
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 35m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Completely cook the chicken in the oil. Drain.
- Set aside cooked chicken, broccoli, bacon and shredded cheese.
- Cook the macaroni and cheese as directed on the package.
- Using a wire whisk, beat the milk, eggs and pepper until blended. Set aside.
- Spread half of the macaroni and cheese in a lasagna pan, then cover with half of the shredded cheese.
- Layer in the chicken and broccoli and cover with the rest of the macaroni and cheese.
- Pour the milk and egg mixture over the top.
- Sprinkle on the remainder of the shredded cheese. Top with the italian breadcrumbs and finally the crumbled bacon.
- Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated all the way through. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 855.8, Fat 33.8, SaturatedFat 13.8, Cholesterol 192.4, Sodium 1465.2, Carbohydrate 83.5, Fiber 2.6, Sugar 11.9, Protein 53
BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN BAKED MAC & CHEESE
I was really craving baked macaroni and cheese one night so I decided to throw in some other items to make a meal out of it. Everyone loved it and my step-daughter asked if I could make it once a week. It is cheesy and fantastic with veggies and chicken added so you don't have to worry about making side dishes. This fed our family of five and gave my hubby leftovers for work. See the last step for make ahead information.
Provided by PSU Lioness
Categories Macaroni And Cheese
Time 45m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over Medium/High heat. Add chicken to the pan and saute until done, seasoning with salt and pepper if preferred.
- If broccoli florets are not already cooked and chopped, do this now. You can buy frozen chopped broccoli to save time.
- Add chicken and broccoli to the already cooked macaroni pasta. Toss to make sure it is well mixed.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cheddar cheese soup, evaporated milk, sour cream, milk, Parmesan and seasoned salt. Add the butter after everything else is mixed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and cut a few slits in the top to vent.
- Microwave for 4 minutes to melt butter and heat the rest of the soup mixture. Make sure butter is melted when finished. If not, stir and microwave for another minute or two.
- To assemble the macaroni, layer 1/2 of the macaroni/chicken/broccoli mixture in the bottom of a sprayed 9x13 glass baking dish. Top with half of the cheese soup mixture. Top with half of the shredded cheese.
- Repeat all three layers one more time.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and the cheese on top is melted. If the top is already browned, skip the next step.
- Turn oven to BROIL and allow macaroni to remain in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese on top is lightly browned. You may even want to keep the oven door open a crack to watch the top and make sure it doesn't burn.
- You can make this a day or two ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. Just remove it from the fridge about 45 minutes before baking so it comes up to room temperature and cooks evenly.
Tips:
- Use good quality ingredients: Fresh chicken, broccoli, and cheese will make a big difference in the flavor of your dish.
- Don't overcook the chicken: Chicken is best when it is cooked through but still juicy. Overcooked chicken will be dry and tough.
- Use a good quality cheese: A sharp cheddar cheese will give your mac and cheese a rich, flavorful taste.
- Don't be afraid to experiment: You can add other vegetables to this dish, such as carrots, peas, or bell peppers. You can also use different types of cheese, such as mozzarella or Parmesan.
- Make it ahead of time: This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated when you're ready to serve it. This is a great option for busy weeknights.
Conclusion:
Mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli is a delicious and comforting dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make and can be customized to your own taste. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give this recipe a try.
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