EASY baked Mac and Cheese loaded with chicken and broccoli - a COMPLETE meal all made in one pot! This recipe requires the specific ratio of water, milk and macaroni that I've specified in the recipe. Don't be alarmed at how much liquid there is when you take it out of the oven before broiling/grilling the top. You will be surprised how quickly the liquid evaporates into a thick sauce. Watch the VIDEO to see how easy this is to make!
Recipe by Nagi | RecipeTin Eats on February 24, 2016
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT45M
Rating
5 stars (28 reviews)
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb / 500g skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets (, cut into bite size pieces)
3 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves (, minced)
1 small onion (, finely chopped)
4 tbsp plain flour
2 1/2 cups milk (, low fat)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
Black pepper
2 cups macaroni / elbow pasta ((Note 1))
1 large head of broccoli (, broken into florets (or 1 1/2 smaller ones))
Heat oil in a deep heavy based skillet or dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken and cook until just cooked - it's fine if it's still raw inside. Remove chicken into a bowl. (Note 2)
Reduce heat to medium and melt butter. Add garlic and onion and saute for 5 minutes until onion is translucent. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in half the milk and whisk it in so the flour butter mixture melts. It should thicken quite quickly - around 30 seconds. Pour the remaining milk in, whisking constantly, then add the water, salt and pepper.
Turn the heat up to medium high and cook, whisking occasionally, for around 3 to 5 minutes until you start seeing steam rising from the white sauce when you whisk it.
Add the macaroni and chicken, stir, then top with broccoli.
Place the lid on and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, switch oven to broiler/grill on high.
Remove lid (Note 3), stir through cheese, then sprinkle over panko and parmesan. (Will still look bit watery at this stage).
Place pot under the broiler/grill for 5 minutes, or until top is golden.
Remove, then let it stand for 5 minutes before serving (sauce thickens quickly).
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 361 g
Calories: 530 kcal
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Protein: 43.5 g
Fat: 31.3 g
Saturated Fat: 15.5 g
Cholesterol: 153 mg
Sodium: 916 mg
Sugar: 6.9 g
Reviews
AlisonB on 2026-09-18 (5 stars): This was great, and so easy! The only change I made was to toss the chicken cubes in Penzeys "Justice" seasoning blend before sauteing. 10/10 will make this again!
Fe Shearouse on 2026-04-20 (5 stars): I tried this for the first time, especially for my picky grandson, and he absolutely loved it and had 2 big portions!!! What a wonderful one-pot dish that is so delicious and nutritious! Thanks so much, Nagi!
Fe Shearouae on 2026-04-20 (5 stars): I tried this for the first time, especially for my picky grandson, and he absolutely loved it and had 2 big portions!!! What a wonderful one-pot dish that is so delicious and nutritious! Thanks so much, Nagi!
JudyC on 2026-04-05 (5 stars): Perfect for a Sunday night with minimal supplies. I used a small piece of broccoli with cauliflower. no chicken. Halved the recipe for two. Worked perfectly. Thanks Nagi.
Danielle Parker on 2026-01-29 (5 stars): Delicious and so creamy. Added 1 tsp of veggie stock paste that I had in the fridge. Thanks for another great recipe Nagi!
Leonie on 2025-10-16 (5 stars): Made this and loved it but I needed an extra cup.of milk and an extra 1.5 cups of water for it to be loose enough to cook the pasta (I actually used left over chicken stock instead of water).
Otherwise delicious. I used roast chook as well. Easy and quick to get on the table. Naturally I added crunchy chilli oil to the finished product for me, not the kids!
Liana on 2025-09-03 (5 stars): Made as written (with penne pasta), easy and delicious. Chicken tender, broccoli cooked but not mushy, sauce thick and didn't stick to base. Thanks Nagi, I will be making again 😋
Lani on 2024-09-18 (5 stars): Holy moly this was so moorish! 1 pot even better and super quick and easy. No broccoli so chucked in frozen beans and peas nom nom nom, kids loved it. Will cook again and again
Veronica on 2024-02-13 (5 stars): 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!
Suzi Lloyd on 2023-06-30 (5 stars): As per Lisa’s comment below I used leftover juiciest roast chicken too. It was quick, easy and absolutely delicious!
Lisa on 2022-04-12 (5 stars): 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!
bed on 2021-11-14 (5 stars): 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!
