Blackened Chicken Broccoli Mac and Cheese
I love this blackened chicken broccoli mac and cheese. It’s super simple for when you need a dinner in a hurry. You’ll boil your pasta and frozen broccoli together, blacken some chicken breasts and then mix it all together with a heavy cream and Velveeta cheese sauce. It doesn’t get much better. The perfect comfort food, I tell ya. Keep reading to see how I made this macaroni and cheese with broccoli and chicken.
I love this quick simple recipe. It’s like a one pot dish, but I guess technically you don’t cook it all together? Regardless, it’s delicious and super easy to make. If you scroll down to the full recipe, it looks like a lot of ingredients. Don’t let that fool you. It’s mainly just seasonings for your chicken. You can also buy already premixed blackening seasonings if you wish. I just have all these ingredients and made my own!
Equipment You’ll Need
To start off, you’re going to need some sort of skillet to blacken your chicken on. Cast iron is ideal for this. You use whatever you have. The cast iron will get that good char on the outside. Then you’ll also need a large pot to boil your chicken and broccoli in. I used my deep cast iron skillet to blacken my chicken, remove it, dump out the oil and grease, then made my cheese sauce in it. No sense in getting out every pot in the kitchen.
Gather Your Ingredients
You’ll need three to four large chicken breasts. Be sure to trim the fat. Them you’ll also need your blackening seasonings. I like to make my own, but you can always find a blackening seasoning in the spice aisle at the store.
For your pasta, I used a box of penne pasta. You can use whatever shape you’d like but be sure it’s around 16 ounces or two cups worth. I also used frozen broccoli. You can use fresh, but honestly a bag of frozen is cheaper and just simpler. For your sauce, you’ll need butter, a little flour, heavy cream and of course, Velveeta cheese! The holy grail! It makes this recipe so creamy and smooth and just amazing.
How to Make Blackened Chicken with Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Step one
Place a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat on your stove. Then, place your pasta and broccoli in a large pot. Cover with water and boil. Then drain off the water.
Step two
Cut your chicken breasts in half and trim the fat. Season them on both sides with your blackening seasonings. Add them to your hot skillet. Flip after about 3-4 minutes per side. They will char or “blacken” on the outsides. Cook in skillet until an internal temperature of 170 degrees is reached then remove from pan.
Step three
Empty either your pot or skillet and add in your butter. Heat it over medium heat. Once butter is melted add in your flour and mix. Then add in your heavy cream and mix it in with your butter paste. Add your Velveeta cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is fully melted.
Step four
Add your pasta and broccoli to your cheese sauce and fold in completely. Slice your blackened chicken then add on top. Serve and enjoy!
Blackened Chicken Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Large Stock Pot
- Spatula or Spoon
- Tongs
Ingredients
Blackened Chicken
- 3-4 Large Chicken Breasts
- 1 tbsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1/2 tbsp Parsley
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Lemon Pepper
Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- 16 oz Dried Penne Pasta
- 12 oz Frozen Broccoli
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 4 oz Velveeta Cheese
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Place a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat on your stove. Then, place your pasta and broccoli in a large pot. Cover with water and boil.
- Cut your chicken breasts in half and trim the fat. Season them on both sides with your blackening seasonings. Add them to your hot skillet. Flip after about 3-4 minutes per side. They will char or "blacken" on the outsides. Cook in skillet until an internal temperature of 170 degrees is reached then remove from pan.
- Empty either your pot or skillet and add in your butter. Heat it over medium heat. Once butter is melted add in your flour and mix. Then add in your heavy cream and mix it in with your butter paste. Add your Velveeta cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until cheese if fully melted.
- Add your pasta and broccoli to your cheese sauce and fold in completely. Slice your blackened chicken then add on top. Serve and enjoy!
Before you go…
Did you try this simple mac and cheese with broccoli recipe? What about the blackened chicken? Let me know what you thought! Click here to leave me a message or comment below. Happy cooking!
