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 delicious but took an hour not 30 mins. Just the baking grilling and standing process alone is 30 mins.
A bit disappointing as dinner was a 30 mins behind schedule.
I’m sorry this took longer than you expected Laura but I’m pleased you enjoyed it!
You did it again Nagi! I was a bit sceptical because I wondered if the ratio of 2.5 cups water to 2 cups pasta would be correct, but you’re right, it’s PERFECT! I generally Thermomix my recipes, so I chucked in the cheese when making the roux and it made no difference (if anyone out there is worried). Delish! And so easy! Oh, I used half wine, half water and it was bloody brilliant. You are FABULOUS! XXXX
So pleased you enjoyed it Eileen! Thanks for letting me know! N xx❤️
What exactly is “tasty” cheese? Never heard of it.
Hi Gayle! It’s a common type of cheese here in Australia, it’s like Cheddar and Monterey Jack 🙂
Hi Nagi,
I made this tonight for dinner. My 13yr old daughter said ” Don’t put broccoli in it. I don’t like it!” I put it in anyway.. hehehe.. She absolutely scoffed it down. She loved it! Thank you soo much for such a yummy recipe.
I’m so pleased to hear that Sharmane, thank you for letting me know! N xx
Hello,
I was wondering, would it be possible to double this recipe in the same dish? I have a larger family and usually have to double any recipe I find, but I see you mention the measurements of water/milk and ingredients are very important to follow precisely. So I wonder if doubling it would cause any trouble in that way? I’m a bit new to cooking so I apologize if this is a beginner question. Would cooking time be effected by doubling the dish as well?
Hi Pol! That’s not a beginner question at all, it’s a very good one! Doubling it should work fine but I just wonder about a pot that is large enough! It will mean it is very deep so there is less crunchy topping to creamy mac, if that makes sense? It will probably take 5 minutes or so longer to cook too 🙂 Hope you love it!
Another amazing recipe ? I switched chicken for tinned tuna as that’s all I had, and added some sliced mushrooms – yum!! 5 stars
Fantastic to hear Liz! I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N xx
Could you use frozen brocoli in this? I don’t have any fresh at the moment and this looks delish!
Absolutely! Works a treat!
You are a brilliant woman!! Made this tonight. My family loved it. I can’t believe how fast, easy and delicious it was. I’m so glad I’ve found your blog and can’t wait to try more recipes. Thank you!
YES!!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Michele, thanks for letting me know! N xx
My 12 yr old made this for us tonight (with little assistance). It was amazing! My husband is lactose intolerant so we rarely it creamy things. Luckily we live where there are dairy items that are lactose free. We live on an island in the Pacific Northwest and made no adjustments to the measurements (American compared to Australian measurements). My daughter only had a complaint about the onion… She still hasn’t grasped the beauty and simplicity of the onion yet. I would highly recommend this recipe, what a great comfort food. Thank you so much!
Your 12yo made this??? That’s INCREDIBLE Darby! What a champion!
Omg you’ve done it again. I watched the video, read the recipe and all the comments and had a good feel for what I was doing. But I was still a bit scared when I put it away in the oven, worried I had too much liquid or that the pasta wouldn’t cook. I worried maybe the chicken would be overlooked or my brocolli undercooked. But now I know you are a genius because this turned out wonderfully! Thank you again for a perfect recipe!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it Annie-Rose! Thank you for coming back to let me know! N x
Nagi, this dish was wonderful! I substituted the broccoli with mushrooms because Bruce doesn’t like brocci. I just popped the chopped mushies over the top at the stage of adding broccoli – it was wonderful! We’ll be fighting over the left overs! Thank you! Much better than Woolies chicken schnitzels 🙂 See you at the dog park with Joanie and Chino xxxx Jo
Doesn’t like Broccoli?? How OLD is he??? It’s like being married to a child! 😉 (OK don’t tell him I teased him, I don’t want him to be cross with me!!) I’m so glad you enjoyed this Jo!!! Did Joanie and Chino do any taste testing?? See you at the park soon! I skipped the weekend….unsurprisingly! I am told the rest of the guys were down at the beach though – MADNESS!!!! N x
Hello Nagi
This is my second 1 pot recipe ive made from the many you have. I did the creamy orzo one too which turned out amazing. This one, tasted so good. I added mushrooms which i cooked down with the onions and garlic. Instead of water, i used chicken stock for added flavor. Everything thickened up extremely nicely which is main reason i love roux based thickening over cream. Will definitely be making this again. It was quite delightful!
P.S. Though i perfer self shredding, i got some pre shredded cheese, good quality and it was a triple cheddar and colby mix. turned out very tasty!
Thanks for trying my recipe Devon!!! I’m SO glad you enjoyed this – and thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!! N x
Hi Nagi,
I made your recipe few times already. The last one I added cauliflower into the milk and blend it. And it’s yummy !!!!
Thank you Nagi.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Christina, thank you for letting me know! N x
Hi. How would I adjust this recipe to use wholemeal penne (San Remo – can only get penne and spaghetti in wholemeal here in Sydney). Thanks.
Hi Louise! I’m in Sydney too 🙂 I get the San Remo macaroni which is labelled “elbow pasta”. Or do you mean you can only eat wholemeal??
thank you
I love this great recipe
You’re most welcome! So glad you enjoyed it Maya! 🙂
Are these the same measurements we use in North America? For some reason I am thinking Australian measurements are slightly different-ie is a cup the same here as where you are?
Hi M! You are right, measurements differ slightly in American vs Australia. But the difference is minor and for this recipe (and in fact all my savoury recipes) the difference is not enough to affect the recipe! 🙂
This looks like such a good idea, turning mac and cheese into a full meal with the chicken and broccoli!
This is how I get my Mac N Cheese fix midweek! ?
After stumbling on this blog a few weeks ago (I have no idea what Google-spiral lead me here) and receiving your e-newsletters, this is the first recipe I’ve tried. SO GOOD! I used a stove-top safe covered roasting pan (Pampered Chef, I think…) instead of a Dutch oven, but followed the recipe exactly after that. SO GOOD – did I already say that? My 2 year old, who’s on a broccoli kick right now, and my husband agreed. Now instead of working I’m looking through your archives to see what to make tonight.
-Laura from New Hampshire, USA
Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear that Laura, thank you so much for coming back to let me know! N x PS I’m so glad you found me!! 🙂
I don’t have a dutch oven yet 🙁 What about a ceramic baking dish using foil to cover?
I really, really really want to try this but don’t have all the equipment yet booooo
Hi Martina!! Don’t worry! Do you have an ovenproof skillet? I sometimes use a skillet instead and just use a large pot lid or even foil to cover. Otherwise, pop the baking dish in the oven to heat up while you do the stovetop cooking part, then pour it all into the hot baking dish to bake. 🙂 It will work just fine!
I would so devour this, a healthier Mac n Cheese with veggies and chicken! great recipe Nagi.
Thank you kindly Evelyne!!!