Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Show: 30 Minute MealsEpisode: What's Warm, Cozy and Fast? Dinner!

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (317)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(317)

Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
Yield: 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 25 min
Total:: 35 min

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

Directions

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 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.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
Adriane Patterson, CA 03-11-2010
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Mac & Cheese
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I watched Rachael make this recipe years ago and couldn't wait to make it the very next day. I loved that it had chicken and... broccoli in it which is great for the kids. I really really it. I think I liked it more than the kids though. I don't think they liked the spicy taste and gritty texture. I loved the spicy kick and the overall taste. The only thing I didn't love WAS the gritty/graininess of the sauce. The cheddar just doesn't melt smooth and creamy like mac & cheese should be. I have yet to perfect it and play with different cheeses to make this a perfect mac & cheese. But other than texture, I think it's a good reipe. Read more
recipe Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
Susan Virginia Beach, VA 02-16-2010
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Wish I could award negative stars
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

This cheese sauce is just AWFUL! I wouldn't feed this to a starving homeless dog. Rachel, you really failed on this one. I... am SOOO disappointed. What a waste of good cheese.Read more
recipe Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
Alison Falls Church, VA 02-10-2010
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good for kids
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I like this recipe coz you get everything all in 1 dish - meat, veggies, pasta, dairy. Great for getting your kids to eat a... bit of everything. Also you can make a big batch and it can last a couple of meals - great for busy Moms.Read more
recipe Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
Misty Plant City, FL 01-26-2010
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Not Bad after few adjustments.
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

The first time I made this recipe, I did so exactly the way the recipe says. The cheese sauce was way to runny and spicy... (for my families taste). But everyone said it had a decent taste. I made it again last night, but I tweeked it just a little. The recipe calls for 3 cups milk and 1 cup chicken stock, I only used 3 cups milk, and left out the stock, I think the 4th. cup of liquid made it to runny. I left out the pepper, and added more salt, and the recipe was perfect. Moral of the story is, 4 cups liquid makes it was to runny. But very yummy dinner.Read more
recipe Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
Macie Kingwood, TX 12-28-2009
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Fantastic!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This dish was so easy and quick to make. I'm 17 and decided to make dinner for the family and I did it and everyone loved it ... sooo much they went for seconds. I added a few things to it to kind of make it my own but it was marvelous! THANKS! :)Read more
recipe Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
Sharon New Haven, CT 12-28-2009
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Great if you make adjustments
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

This dish was pretty easy to make but it needed adjustments. For starters the cheese sauce was too spicy. I recommend half... the cayenne pepper that she suggests. Also you might want to add more cheese to the sauce as it wasn't very cheesy. Also I found the sauce to be grainy and i think a different chees might work better. Overall it's not bad but it could be better.Read more