Baked mac and cheese!

I heart broccoli. And chicken. And baked mac and cheese in the fall is yummo! So I decided to spice up the normal mac and cheese and add a bit of a twist. My bro and sis are cheese fanatics and got some good cheese advice from them.


The hardest part was making the cheese sauce. I used Jarlsberg cheese and it does not melt as well as cheddar so I had to stir it constantly for about 30 min. Other than that, it was a pretty simple and delish dish! Makes the house smell awesome too! 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Chicken

1 lb pasta (elbows work well and can use whole wheat pasta too!)

2 chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)

1/2 onion (diced)

2 crowns broccoli 

2 - 3 cups Jarlsberg cheese (cut into small pieces)

1/2 - 1 cup cheddar cheese (cut into small pieces)

2 1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons butter (you can use less)

3 tablespoons flour

grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on top)

-cook the pasta about 75% of the way. while the pasta is cooking, sauté the onion and chicken in a separate pan. also, steam the broccoli and cut into bite size pieces. 

-melt the butter in a sauce pan on low-med heat. add the flour and stir for another minute. slowly add in the milk and continue to stir until it is thick enough to coat the spoon. add in the Jarlsberg and cheddar stirring until smooth. 

-evenly mix the pasta with the broccoli and chicken and place into baking dish. pour the cheese sauce over the top. place in the oven at 400 degrees. bake for about 20-25 minutes. 

-add Parmesan cheese on the top and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown.