This is a Chicken Mac and Cheese that’s made in one pot, where macaroni, chicken and broccoli are all cooked together from raw! The cheese sauce is creamy but made without cream, and the pasta and chicken is perfectly cooked. A complete cosy dinner, on the table in just over 30 minutes!
Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
I will never abandon my beloved Baked Mac and Cheese. But sometimes you need your mac and cheese to be dinner, not just an enormous bowl of cheese and carbs. 😂
So here’s a mac and cheese that not only makes a respectable dinner with seasoned chicken bites and a giant head of broccoli, it’s actually a healthier version too. Less butter. No cream.
But – I didn’t cut back on cheese. We’re making Mac and Cheese here, after all. Not just Mac!! 🙂
And to top it all off, it’s all made in one pot. Start it on the stove by searing the chicken and making the sauce. Then pour the uncooked macaroni and raw broccoli in, pop it in the oven and like magic, out comes a bubbling Mac and Cheese with perfectly cooked macaroni, tender broccoli and juicy bites of chicken smothered in a creamy sauce. It’s like….magic!
Ingredients in Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
To make a mac and cheese in one pot, you need to use an exact amount of liquid to macaroni ratio – enough to cook the pasta and create a creamy sauce. Not enough liquid = dry. Too much liquid = soup! Here’s what you need:
1. the chicken
Chicken – I like to use boneless thighs as they stay juicier for the bake time required. But you could use breast if you prefer.
Garlic powder – To flavour the chicken. You can substitute this with an Italian Herb Mix.
Salt and pepper – For seasoning.
2. the mac and cheese
Macaroni (elbow pasta) – Feel free to use other pasta that is similar size, like small shells, ditalini, fusilli, penne or cavatappi.
Broccoli – Use one large head, or two smaller ones. The dish can take quite a lot of broccoli, so you can even increase it if you want!
Cheese – Use 2 tightly packed cups (200g) of your favourite cheese that melts well, but not mozzarella as it doesn’t have enough seasoning. I will always be an advocate for shredding your own – it melts more smoothly because packet shredded is coated in anti-clumping agents that can make the sauce a little grainy. But if you have a shredded cheese brand you know and trust, feel free to use it! Australians reading this – I use the Devondale 3 Cheese Blend (Colby, mozzarella, parmesan) and it works very well, no graininess.
Butter – This is the fat I use to cook everything, then when the flour is added it forms a roux – the thickening base for the cheese sauce.
Flour – Just plain / all-purpose flour. As mentioned above, this is what thickens the liquid to become the creamy sauce.
Onion and garlic – Sautéed at the beginning to form a flavour base. I recommend not skipping this, it adds extra flavour into the whole dish.
Milk and chicken stock/broth (low sodium) – These are the liquids used to make the sauce. You need quite a lot in order to cook the pasta – 5 cups (1.25 litres) for 300g / 10 oz of pasta. Most of it gets absorbed by the pasta then by the time it is cooked, we need enough liquid to form the creamy sauce.
Full fat milk is best but low-fat works fine too. For the chicken stock, use low sodium, though if full salt is all you’ve got, reduce the salt in the sauce by a bit.
3. Crunchy topping
Panko breadcrumbs – These are chunkier than regular breadcrumbs so they make a crunchier topping!
Butter – I prefer the flavour of butter but you can use olive oil if you prefer.
Parmesan cheese – Just a couple of tablespoons of parmesan to give the topping a flavour boost. I use the sandy-type of grated parmesan (fridge, not aisle – that’s no real parmesan! 🙂 )
How to make One Pot Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
Don’t be alarmed by how soupy it looks when you’re stirring in the cheese. Pasta absorbs liquid astonishingly fast, so in the few minutes it’s under the broiler (oven grill) to brown the crunchy topping, the sauce will from too loose to thick and creamy. Trust! 🙂
Sauté – Melt the butter in a large deep oven-proof pan (30cm/12″ wide), or use a large pot. Then sauté the garlic and onion for 2 minutes.
Sear chicken – Add the chicken and sprinkle the chicken seasoning over (garlic powder, salt and pepper). Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, just until the surface of the chicken is sealed but the inside is still raw. You won’t get much colour on the chicken, if at all.
Make roux – Add the flour and stir until you can no longer see flour. The chicken and onion will look like it’s covered in a paste.
Dissolve roux – Add the stock and stir until the roux is dissolved – it will become cloudy. Then add the milk and stir to combine.
Macaroni – Add the uncooked macaroni, stir.
Broccoli – Cover the surface with the raw broccoli florets. Just scatter it across the surface, don’t push it into the liquid.
Bake 20 minutes – Place the lid on and bake for 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
Cheese it! Remove from the oven and flick it over to the broiler/oven grill on high. Working quickly (but gently!) sprinkle the cheese over and stir it in.
Sprinkle with the crunchy topping.
Golden crunchy topping – Then pop it under the oven grill/broiler for 3 minutes, just to make the crunchy topping golden. Remove and serve straight away!
There you go!! Mmmmm, not sure what else to say about this. 🙂 I mean, it’s:
√ One pot
√ Easy
√ Creamy and cheesy
√ Complete meal
√ No cream
Errrm….ticked all my boxes for an easy, scrumptious midweek meal! 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Here’s the video so you can see for yourself the magic of how you can make Mac and Cheese in one pot! With no cream!!
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One Pot Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Chicken and seasoning
- 500g / 1 lb chicken thigh fillets, skinless and boneless, cut into small bite size pieces
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +50% for flakes)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Broccoli mac and cheese
- 3 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 small onion , finely chopped
- 1/4 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 3 cups milk , full fat best but low fat is fine
- 2 cups chicken stock / broth , low sodium
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +50% for flakes)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 300 g (3 cups) macaroni (elbow pasta) (Note 1)
- 1 large head of broccoli , broken into florets (or 1 1/2 smaller ones)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups (150 – 200g) cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, tasty – not mozzarella, too plain), preferably freshly shredded but I usually use pre-shredded ("3 cheese blend" mozzarella, Colby and parmesan)
Topping
- 25 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter , melted
- 1/2 cup panko (or ordinary breadcrumbs)
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese , I use the store bought sandy-type (from fridge not aisle), else finely shred you own (tightly pack the tablespoons)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Sauté onion – Melt butter over high heat in a large deep oven-proof skillet (30cm/12" wide), or use a large pot. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Cook chicken – Add the chicken and garlic, and sprinkle the garlic powder, salt and pepper over. Cook, stirring, until the surface of the chicken is sealed.
- Creamy sauce – Reduce heat to medium high and add flour. Stir until you no longer see white flour. Pour in the stock and stir until it turns milky from the flour dissolving into the liquid. Add milk, salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to high and stir.
- Macaroni and broccoli – Add macaroni, stir, then once you start seeing bubbles, spread the broccoli across the surface.
- Bake 20 minutes – Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake 20 minutes.
- Crunchy topping – Meanwhile, mix the Crunchy Topping ingredients together.
- Cheese and crunch it! Remove the pan from the oven. Flick to oven grill/broiler on high. Remove lid. Scatter with cheese then gently (but quickly!) stir through. It might look a bit watery still, that's good! It will thicken quickly into a creamy sauce. Smooth surface, then sprinkle with Topping.
- Golden topping – Place under the broiler/grill for 3 to 5 minutes, or until top is golden. By this time excess liquid will be absorbed by the pasta and the sauce will be thickened and creamy.
- Serve immediately while hot and oozy and creamy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Recipe originally published in 2016, way back when I just started making recipe videos! Updated with a much needed better video, new photos, and the recipe steps have been slightly streamlined too. I used to cook the chicken first, remove, then add it back later. I’ve since changed to an all-in method. Easier and just as good!
The Mac and Cheese Collection
Life of Jaffle
Jaffle thinks every dog was put on this earth to be his play mate, but he’s definitely got one friend he’s particularly attached to. Meet Charlie! He’s the one on the left, also a golden retriever, just one month younger than Jaffle.
I hope you weren’t expecting a nice photo of the two of them sitting next to each other, facing the camera so you can clearly see Charlie’s face. No chance of that! The moment we arrive at the park, these two get right into it, leaping and whirling and pouncing and tumbling!
And when all else fails, this is Jaffle’s strategy to gain the upper hand – just pin Charlie down with his weight. He’s got a few kilos on him so it doesn’t take any effort – he just splat flops onto top of Charlie and he’s pinned down, squirming, legs flailing like an insect on its back. 😆
They’re very cute together. 🥰
This was so good!! I usually find baked mac and cheese to be way too dry, but this was perfect, still saucy and flavorful. I baked the broccoli on a separate sheet pan so I could keep it on the side for my picky child, and mixed it in at the end for the rest of us. Delicious!
very easy to make. really good but i found it very bland. i added salt but my hubby thought it was fine the way it was.
I have just made this for the 4th time. It’s too good! there are never any left overs.
As per Lisa’s comment below I used leftover juiciest roast chicken too. It was quick, easy and absolutely delicious!
Hi Nagi, this looks so delicious – can’t wait to try it! Would it be okay to use frozen broccoli instead of fresh? Would it make it more watery / need more time to cook? Thanks in advance
I want to buy a cast iron skillet for recipes like this one – what size do you use for this recipe?
This was delicious, quick and easy! I used left over roast chicken that needed using up (it was already cooked, so I just stirred it into the pasta right before putting it under the grill). It was perfect!
Thanks for that tip, Lisa!! N x
Hi,
I, as a “gluten free” pensioner and only recently started cooking for myself, would appreciate comments that help me with the use of gluten free flour and gf products. For ALL the recipes look fantastic and i would like to try them. Thanks from Peter
Hi Peter – I will keep that in mind when writing the notes! It’s a common request these days! Many of my rice meals are g/f – try typing “rice” in the search bubble on my website and you will have lots of choices! Happy cooking!! N x
Amazing!! Super easy to make and delicious! I made the sauce and followed the first steps in a pot on my stove then transferred the sauce to a glass Pyrex and added the noodles, etc. I was nervous since the noodles weren’t cooked before the Pyrex but it literally did turn out PERFECT and delicious! Thank you!
Sounds delisious not cooked it yet
Delicious quick and easy! Cooking your recipes has made me enjoy cooking again after having children and catering to a family. Everything just works and I love that the measurements and ingredients are all Australian and all of the practical tips!
Hi Nagi,
Thank you so much for, yet again, another stellar recipe! Such a wonderful and delicious comfort-food meal. Perfect dish for the deep-freeze we’re experiencing (-20c) in British Columbia right now! I did have to keep it in the oven for about 35 minutes as the pasta wasn’t done at the 20 minute mark. No biggie, though. This is a total keeper and has earned a top spot in the meal rotation! Thanks again, Nagi!
Hi Nagi, I really want to make this but I need to do all my cooking during toddler naps (around 1) and we eat at 530. If I pause between step six and 7 and put it in the fridge, would that work and would I need to increase the oven cook time? I love that your recipes Ares so clear they are always a success. Thanks!
Hi Jessica, you don’t want to stop at this step because I fear the pasta will soak up the liquid and cook time/liquid ratios will all be out. Stop the step before, then when you’re ready to cook, heat the sauce back up gently, add the chicken, broccoli and macaroni and finish cooking. N x
Thankyou!
Hi nagi! My Mac and cheese came out quite thick before grilling. I had to add a bit more water after it was in the oven. What have I done wrong?? I used 4 tbsp plain flour, 2 cups pasta, 2 and half cups whole milk and I cup water.
Hi Rosie, If you find it a little thick, thin it out with a little water so it doesn’t go too stodgy when grilling – N x
I have been making your recipes for about a year now! You motivate me to cook so much more and know the results will be worth it! I am going to make this… I have whole milk, will that work, or do I need to buy a lower fat milk? Thank you!
That’s so wonderful to hear Sophie, thanks so much. Whole milk will work fine here – N x
Hi Nagi! I was just wondering if the oven preheat temperature was for a fan forced oven or conventional x
Also Nagi, I think the calories on this are wrong. I entered them in with a LOT less cheese and mine still came out very similar calorie wise. I believe your calculator didn’t consider the calories in the macaroni, because it says there are only 18g carbs in this dish which seems very light for a pasta dish!
Thank you for picking that up Mai, I will recheck!
Hi Nagi!
Does the listed nutrition information have the pasta missing?
Thank you, love your recipes!
Hi Nagi, just wondering what oven-proof pan brands you recommend? I really want to make more one pot dishes! Do you prefer cast iron to go into the oven or the type you have listed in your pictures? Thanks 🙂
Hi Mai,
did you end up buying a oven proof dish? can you help me with your recommendation please.thanks for your help.
I bought a Lodge 7 qt. enameled cast iron Dutch oven and am loving it. Don’t know why I didn’t get one years ago.
This came out great, even my super picky toddler liked it and it’s very hard finding dishes he will eat. I used store bought rotisserie chicken which made it even quicker to put together, everything was cooked to perfection. Thanks for another awesome recipe, this will go into our dinner recipe rotation.
That’s wonderful to hear Ina! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
Hi Nagi, I want to make some freezer meals for an elderly parent. Can I freeze this dish?
Absolutely! 🙂 PS You lovely daughter, you!