crock pot mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli

You can also increase the amount of cheese you use. To add more flavor to this dish, use extra sharp cheddar cheese.Tips for the Best Chicken and Broccoli Pasta I think fresh broccoli is best in this shells and cheese recipe, but if you use frozen I recommend thawing it first and draining it before adding it to the boiling pasta water. Avoid thinner pastas like spaghetti for this recipe. Yes, any short, sturdy pasta should work for this recipe (like macaroni or rotini). Stir in the cheese, then the cooked pasta and broccoli.Ĭan I Make This With Another Type of Pasta?.Continue cooking until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the milk, followed by the seasonings.While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large saucepan and stir in the flour.Add the broccoli in during the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking. Boil pasta according to the package instructions.Spices (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper).Enjoy! Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Ingredientsįor this easy mac and cheese recipe, you’ll need: One more delicious, perfectly creamy and filling dish to add to the rotation. If you insist on making this shells and cheese richer, you could use regular fat cheddar and replace a little of the milk with cream (if doing so, I’d reduce the flour by 1 Tbsp). I mean, with 4 1/2 cups broccoli how could it be bad? I actually prefer a mac like this versus one with all the fat because it’s not so heavy and I feel fine about eating it. Plus, I added a bonus of a protein and veggie to make it more of a meal in one, so there’s actually some nutrition in there. I made this chicken and broccoli pasta much lighter than a traditional mac and cheese by using low-fat milk and no cream, using only a small amount of butter, and using reduced fat cheddar cheese. Better yet, it’s easy to make and if you happen to already have some cooked chicken sitting in the fridge or freezer then you’ve got a meal in no time. This Chicken and Broccoli Pasta tastes like a dressed up version of the boxed shells and cheese you grew up eating! It comes together in just 20 minutes and is an easy, quick and filling dinner.Ī meal the whole family can agree on can be hard to come by, but this one definitely makes the cut.

Crock pot mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli