Crockpot Chicken Broccoli Mac and Cheese
This Crockpot Broccoli Mac and Cheese was a huge hit with my family! It has all the flavors of cheddar broccoli in a macaroni and cheese dish.
Disclosure: Cooking in the Midwest participates in affiliate advertising programs. I may earn a commission when you make qualifying purchases through my website.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 1 packet of Ranch seasoning
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 5 cups broccoli
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 8 oz of shell pasta or elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- 8 oz cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp dry mustard seasoning
Make Chicken Broccoli Mac and Cheese
To start making this recipe, cut chicken into cubes.
Spray a large crockpot with cooking spray. Add the chicken, Ranch seasoning, chicken broth, and minced garlic to a slow cooker.
Next, add about 5 cups of broccoli on top of the chicken. I used fresh broccoli and kept it in larger pieces, so that it wouldn’t turn to mush during the cooking process.
Cook on low for about 3-4 hours or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Once the chicken is cooked, boil pasta for about 3 minutes and drain. This will only parboil the pasta, not fully cook it. It is important to not fully cook the pasta so that it doesn’t turn to mush in the crockpot.
In the crock pot combine slightly boiled pasta, milk, cheddar cheese, dry mustard seasoning, and cream cheese.
Next, stir everything together and cook on low for about an hour.
It is important to stir at least a couple of times during this hour to help all the cheese melt and the macaroni and cheese come together.
Serve Chicken Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
Once the macaroni and cheese is all melted and creamy it’s time to eat! I didn’t serve anything extra with this, but it would be awesome with a salad and some bread sticks.
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- Always cook chicken until it reaches at least 165 degrees F with an internal meat thermometer.
- I used fresh broccoli and kept it in larger pieces, so that it didn’t turn to mush or disappear during the cooking process.
- During the very last hour of cooking if you think it needs more milk add a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Sometimes I add a little bit of extra milk and sometimes it doesn’t seem to need it.
- Elbow macaroni noodles or medium shells can be used in this recipe.
- The pasta gets par-boiled for 3 minutes before being added to the crockpot. This helps it not get overcooked in the crockpot.
Similar Recipes
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
- Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 1 packet of Ranch seasoning
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 5 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 8 oz of shell pasta or elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- 8 oz cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp dry mustard seasoning
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into cubes. Spray a crockpot with cooking spray. Add chicken, Ranch seasoning, chicken broth, minced garlic, and broccoli to a slow cooker.
- Cook on low for about 3-4 hours or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Boil pasta for 3 minutes and drain. This will only parboil the pasta which is important, so that the pasta doesn’t overcook in the crockpot.
- In the crock pot combine pasta, milk, cheddar cheese, dry mustard seasoning, and cream cheese.
- Stir everything together and cook on low for about an hour. Stir at least a few times during this hour.