Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Mac
If you are looking for a comforting, cheesy dinner that doesn’t require a sink full of dishes this Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Mac won’t disappoint.
This Chicken Broccoli Mac recipe is an easy one pan dinner that is made with basic ingredients you probably already have in your refrigerator and pantry! It’s made with seasoned chicken breast, broccoli, onions, elbow macaroni, chicken broth, milk, and cheese.
This one pan dinner can be on the table in about 30 minutes, depending on how fast you can chop your ingredients, making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients
- Chicken breast, cut into cubes
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, ranch seasoning
- Chicken broth
- Elbow pasta
- Fresh chopped broccoli
- Colby Jack cheese, shredded
- Milk
Make Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Mac
To start making this easy one pan meal, prep just a few of your ingredients.
Cut 1 lb of chicken breast into small cubes.
Roughly chop about 3 cups of broccoli into smaller pieces. Be sure just not to chop the broccoli too small, so it won’t completely fall apart while cooking.
Next, add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and spread it out evenly in the pan. Add the chopped onion and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and ranch seasoning.
Stir everything well.
Once the chicken is pretty much fully cooked, add the uncooked elbow noodles, broccoli, and chicken broth.
I recommend starting with 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth and adding an extra 1/2 cup if needed as the pasta cooks.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid. Let cook covered for about 12-15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
Remove the lid and stir well. Let simmer for a few minutes if any extra liquid needs to reduce.
Add half of the shredded Colby Jack cheese, milk, and stir everything together really well.
Top with the rest of the cheese and cover with the lid to let the cheese melt or pop it in the oven under the broiler for just a few minutes to melt the cheese.
Serve Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Mac
Once the cheese is nice and melted, it’s time to eat! Top with some dried parsley before serving.
This is one of those meals that can be the whole meal because it’s got the protein and veggies all in one pan, but you can also serve it with some extra sides like bread or an extra vegetable.
I served this with some garlic toast and an easy salad kit.
You will love this recipe because it’s super easy, made in one pan, and is easy to customize to your family’s liking. This recipe had my kids coming back for seconds!
The chicken, broccoli, and onion could also be chopped ahead of time, so when it’s time to cook you can just add it all to your pan and get cooking!
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- I used Colby Jack cheese, but this would also be good with cheddar cheese. Shredding the cheese from a block gives a better melting consistency.
- I used 1 lb of chicken breast cut into cubes for this recipe.
- Frozen broccoli could be used instead of fresh broccoli, but it may add a little bit of extra liquid to the dish.
- I recommend starting with 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth and adding an extra 1/2 cup only if needed as the pasta cooks.
Similar Recipes
- One Pan Chicken Taco Mac
- One Pan Chili Mac
- One Pan American Goulash
- One Pan Pizza Tortellini
- Broccoli Chicken and Rice Skillet
If you try this recipe I hope your family enjoys it! Please leave me a comment or Pin this recipe to your Pinterest account.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1 tsp each paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups of chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups elbow pasta uncooked
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
- 8 oz Colby Jack Cheese shredded
- 1/3 cup milk
- Dried parsley
Instructions
- Cut chicken into small cubes. Roughly chop broccoli into smaller pieces (just be careful not to chop too small or it will completely fall apart while cooking).
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and spread it out evenly in the pan. Add the chopped onion and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and ranch seasoning. Stir everything well.
- Once the chicken is pretty much fully cooked, add the uncooked elbow noodles, broccoli, and chicken broth. I recommend starting with 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth and adding an extra 1/2 cup if needed as the pasta cooks.
- Bring the skillet to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid. Let cook covered for about 12-15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
- Remove the lid and stir well. Let simmer for a few minutes if any extra liquid needs to reduce. Add half of the shredded Colby Jack cheese, milk, and stir everything together really well.
- Top with the rest of the cheese and cover with the lid to let the cheese melt or pop it in the oven under the broiler for just a few minutes. Top with dried parsley before serving. Enjoy!