Easy Dinner: Chicken and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Now that school has started and everyone’s schedule is loaded again, you might think that there is not so much time to prepare a yummy dinner that every family member will enjoy. With this Easy Dinner recipe to make Chicken and Broccoli Mac and Cheese having little time is no problem. You will still be able to put a delicious meal on the table that on top has the superfood and vitamin-rich broccoli in it.

Easy Dinner: Chicken and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Chicken and broccoli Mac and Cheese recipe

Image via: Feeling Foodish

Ingredients

• 6 ounces uncooked elbow or shell macaroni
• 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 3 slices of bacon, chopped coarsely
• 12 ounces of skin- and boneless chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

This recipe is great even without the chicken

Image via: My Foodies

Directions

1. Take your broiler and preheat it to high
2. Cook the macaroni as instructed, but don’t add salt or any fat to them. Add the broccoli for the last 2 minutes of cooking, let everything cook for those 2 minutes and then drain all of them.
3. In the meantime, take a large skillet that you can put into the oven, place the bacon in it and cook it over medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes, until the bacon is getting brown. Remove from heat and remove the bacon, making sure to let about 1 1/1 tsp drippings in the pan. Sprinkle the chicken breast with about ¼ tsp of salt and add it to the drippings. Return to heat and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Don’t forget to stir now and then.
4. In a bowl, combine the rest of the salt, the milk, the stock and the flour and stir using a whisk. Add this mixture to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring; let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, until it gets thick. Now it’s time to add the macaroni and about half the cheese. Toss in order to coat all the pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the bacon.
5. Broil for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts and begins to get a brown color. Serve while warm.

Try the recipe without the bacon for a lighter version

Image via: White on Rice Couple

This recipe is just so easy and yummy. If you want, you can refrain from adding the bacon, which will cost a lot of flavor of course, but it will be still a delicious dish, only a little healthier. The dish is perfect for a busy week night and it is a comfort food that has no match.

For more easy meals on Stagetecture, click here.