mac and cheese Archives - Shoppin' Buggy Recipes

Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese

Angie — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 06:49:00 +0000

A quick and easy dinner recipe, this Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese is made with pasta, Velveeta cheese sauce, broccoli and chicken! Perfect for using leftover chicken or store rotisserie chicken!

RECIPE IS BELOW IN PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BUT BLOG POST IS FULL OF “HOW TO MAKE IT”, TIPS, INFORMATION AND FAQ

I have a weakness for Velveeta cheese sauce. It might be because it was one of the mac and cheeses that I grew up eating or because I relied on Velveeta shells and cheese as dinner when I first moved out on my own. I’m not sure why, but it’s always been a favorite of mine.

This easy, peasy dinner recipe combines that ol’ favorite sauce together with chicken, broccoli and pasta for an incredibly tasty meal that is perfect for busy weeknights.

Why You Should Make Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese…

Ready in about 30 minutes
Great for using leftover chicken
Easy to Customize

QUICK GLANCE AT INGREDIENTS FOR Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese:

rotini pasta
salt
Velveeta Cheese sauce
cooked chicken
frozen broccoli florets

(AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)

How to make Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese:

Time needed: 30 minutes

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil and add pasta.
While pasta is cooking, steam/heat broccoli and heat chicken if not already heated.
Cook pasta for 12-14 minutes.
Drain pasta and add back to pot.
Add in cheese sauce and stir well.
Add in cooked chicken.
Add in broccoli.
Stir, Mix well and serve.

More Great chicken pasta Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of chicken should I use for this recipe?

The chicken needs to be pre-cooked, so this recipe is perfect for leftover chicken, store bought rotisserie chicken or precooked chicken strips.

Can I change up the pasta?

You sure can! Small/Medium pasta shape would work for this recipe.

This recipe used Velveeta cheese sauce! Can’t I just buy a box of Velveeta shells and cheese??

You can BUT there probably won’t be enough cheese sauce in that package for this recipe. Not only does this recipe have pasta in it but it also has chicken and broccoli and you’ll need enough cheese sauce to cover it all.

Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A quick and easy dinner recipe, this Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese is made with pasta, Velveeta cheese sauce, broccoli and chicken! Perfect for using leftover chicken or store rotisserie chicken!

Ingredients

16 ounces rotini pasta
salt
12 ounces Velveeta Cheese sauce*
8 ounces cooked chicken**
10 ounces frozen broccoli florets

Instructions

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil and add pasta.

While pasta is cooking, steam/heat broccoli and heat chicken if not already heated.

Cook pasta for 12-14 minutes.

Drain pasta and add back to pot.

Add in cheese sauce and mix well.

Add in cooked chicken.

Add in broccoli.

Stir, Mix well and serve.

Notes

*Make sure it is the Velveeta cheese SAUCE and NOT the block of solid cheese

**this could be leftover chicken, store bought rotisserie chicken or precooked chicken strips

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 810mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 18g

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10 Ways to Change Up Boxed Mac and Cheese

Angie — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 16:27:32 +0000

Love boxed mac and cheese but want to change it up a bit? No problem! I’ve got 10 10 Ways to Change Up Boxed Mac and Cheese for you, including adding ingredients to mac and cheese or adding the mac and cheese to other meals!

Mac and Cheese may be my all time favorite food. If I had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of my life it would most likely be macaroni and cheese!

Boxed, Homemade or semi homemade, I love them all. However, sometimes plain ol’ mac and cheese can get boring. If you’re looking for a little something extra to add to your boxed mac and cheese, I’ve got some ideas for you! Plus I’ve got a few ideas for meals that you can ADD mac and cheese on top of!

10 Ways to Change Up Boxed Mac and Cheese

Easy & Simple Directions are with each idea BUT if it is a more detailed recipe I’ll have a link to it as well.

What kind of boxed mac and cheese should I use?

Use your favorite boxed mac and cheese for these ideas! It could be Kraft Mac and cheese, Velveeta or Annies! Even gluten free boxed mac and cheese would work for these!

Mac and Cheese with Peas!

I love mac and cheese with peas and it’s so easy to make. Once you’ve made the boxed mac and cheese, just stir in canned or thawed frozen green peas into the macaroni and cheese!

Mac and Cheese with Bacon!

Once you’ve made the boxed mac and cheese, stir in premade bacon bits OR cooked bacon that has been drained and chopped.

Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli!

We’re turning mac and cheese into an entire meal just by adding some chicken and broccoli to it. You can use leftover chicken, home cooked chicken, frozen chicken strips that you’ve cooked or rotisserie chicken.

For the broccoli, you can use steamed fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli that has been heated.

If you’re interested in a homemade version of this recipe, I have a homemade Chicken and Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese recipe on BigBearsWife.com

Mac and Cheese with Hot Dogs!

A classic kid favorite!

Boiled, grilled or skillet cooked hot dogs will work for this. Just cook up some hot dogs, slice them into coins and then mix them into your mac and cheese.

(For a crispy top, pop the mac and cheese under the broiler for 2-3 minutes)

Mac and Cheese with Peas and Pearl onions.

I’m not normally a fan of onions UNLESS they are pearls onions! I grew up eating green peas and pearl onions as a side dish and they’re so good together.

Mix canned/drained green peas and pearl onions into prepared mac and cheese.

(For a crispy topping, add toasted breadcrumbs OR crushed French fried onions to the top of the mac and cheese. )

Mac and Cheese with diced tomatoes!

Make boxed mac and cheese according to directions.

Stir in 1 small can diced tomatoes (drained) while mac and cheese is still super hot.

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Baked Potato

Calling all carb lovers!!! These Loaded Mac and Cheese Stuffed Baked Potatoes might be the best stuffed baked potatoes ever. Homemade Mac and cheese stuffed into a freshly baked potato is a carb lover’s dream come true!

You can grab the recipe for this Loaded Stuffed Mac and Cheese Potato on BigBearsWife.com

Mac and Cheese Burger!

Make your favorite burger or cheeseburger and top it with your favorite mac and cheese right before serving!

TIP! Toast the buns before making the burger so that you don’t end up with soggy burger buns

Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese!

Make boxed mac and cheese according to directions.

Take two pieces of bread and lightly butter the outsides.

Fill sandwich with prepared mac and cheese. Use a waffle maker or a skillet to heat/grill the grilled cheese!

Let cool slightly before eating! Inside will be hot!

Mac and Cheese Hot Dogs!

Make your favorite Hot dogs on the grill or however you like to cook them. Then top them with your favorite mac and cheese before serving!

TIP! Toast the inside of the buns before making the hot dogs for a bit of a crispy crunch.

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The post 10 Ways to Change Up Boxed Mac and Cheese appeared first on Shoppin' Buggy Recipes.

Beefy Mac and Cheese

Angie — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 01:47:03 +0000

Easy and Cheesy! Ready for a tasty dinner idea? Pantry items with some ground beef creates this Beefy Mac and Cheese in less than 30 minutes!

Recipe At Bottom of Post

This easy cheese and hamburger Macaroni dish reminds me of my favorite homemade cheeseburger macaroni with a semi homemade twist! We normally have mac and cheese in our pantry along with can of diced tomatoes so this is an easy dinner to toss together when we’re running behind on time and need something quick.

What you’ll need for Beefy Mac and Cheese: (amounts in recipe card below)

ground beef
box Velveeta mac and cheese
can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano
garlic power
tablespoon onion powder
salt

These are the brands that we normally have in our pantry but you don’t have to use these exact brands. I do recommend using a boxed mac and cheese that has the creamy cheese sauce and not the powdered option.

I haven’t tested this recipe with the powdered cheese version of boxed mac and cheese.

How to make Beefy Mac and Cheese:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for macaroni. Once water is boiling, add macaroni and cook for about 12 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, add beef to a large skillet. Season beef with garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

Cook beef on medium heat, breaking it apart as it browns.

Once brown and cooked, drain grease from pan.

Add in diced tomatoes. Add cooked/drained pasta to beef.

Add in cheese sauce from mac and cheese box.

Stir well until combined.

Taste and season more if desired.

Serve hot/warm.

QUICK GLANCE Beefy Mac and Cheese FAQ:

Will this work with other pasta shapes? Yes! But I just use the shells since they come with the box of mac and cheese.
Can I use a homemade cheesy sauce or homemade mac and cheese? Of course! However, I haven’t tired this recipe with one so I don’t know how much you need.
Can I make a homemade version of this? You sure can! I have a recipe for homemade beefy mac and cheese over on my other blog!

These M&M’s Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies would be great to serve after this mac and cheese with beef dish because they’re easy to make and bake!

If you’re looking for a nice bread to serve with this meal, these Fluffy Homemade Rolls would be perfect!

More cheesy recipes that you’ll love:

Beefy Mac and Cheese

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy and Cheesy! Ready for a tasty dinner idea? Pantry items with some ground beef creates this Beefy Mac and Cheese in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients

16 oz ground beef
12 oz box Velveeta mac and cheese
14 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic power
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
a few dashes of salt

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for macaroni. Once water is boiling, add macaroni and cook for about 12 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, add beef to a large skillet. Season beef with garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

Cook beef on medium heat, breaking it apart as it browns.

Once brown and cooked, drain grease from pan.

Add cooked/drained pasta to beef.

Add in cheese sauce from mac and cheese box.

Add in diced tomatoes.

Stir well until combined.

Taste and season more if desired.

Serve hot/warm

If you make this recipe, snap a picture and share it on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #semihomemaderecipes — We love to see what you’re making from the blog!

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