Reicpe Tuesday

It's Recipe Tuesday here at 567Kate. This recipe is easy and crazy delicious. I made it for the first time last week and Dave and I looooved it. Thanks Rachael Ray!

Chicken and Broccoli Mac-n-Cheese

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.



I didn't use the mustard, mainly because I didn't have any. (ha!) I also used low-sodium chicken stock and fat free cheeses. You can easily leave out the onion, if you aren't any onion fan. (We are!) I left out the cayenne as well, again none in the cupboard. It would be delish though. I highly recommend this recipe!! It was crazy easy and it could easily be made the night before or on a Sunday and then baked on a Tuesday. (I like make ahead meals!) It also makes a TON so there's plenty for lunch for your husbands (or you!!) the next day. I tucked a bunch in to Dave's lunch box and had some myself for lunch. We both agreed it was just as good, if not better, the next day.

If you make it, let me know how you like it! Enjoy!!