CHEESY CHICKEN & VEGGIE MAC

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Cheesy Chicken & Veggie Mac image

This is from Kraft Foods for the most part -- I have altered it quite a bit -- the original called for boxed mac-n-cheese and while both DH love the boxed dinner stuff, we love homemade more so assuming I have time, I make it this way and sometimes when I am busy I sub the Kraft dinner instead. I usually use broccoli and cauliflower for my veggies since that is what we like. Sometimes I use peas and we like that just as much! Also, the cayenne is not that much for us we like spicy -- if you don't cut it down or leave it out! :) Also, at the bottom of the directions, I will put my method for cooking chicken for recipes like this -- easy and good! Cook time for chicken is not included in prep time.

Provided by SarahBeth

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 1h

Yield 1 dish, 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 (10 ounce) bag frozen vegetables
1 cup milk
16 ounces processed cheese, cubed (velveeta)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Steps:

  • In a large pot, cook elbow noodles according to the package directions, and add frozen veggies during the last 5 minutes of cooking. When done cooking, drain noodle and veggie mixture.
  • Return noodles and veggies to pot, add chicken and, over medium heat, stir in cheese, milk, butter and spices until creamy and everything is warmed through.
  • Dish directly onto your plate and enjoy!
  • HOW I COOK MY CHICKEN:
  • Depending on how much chicken I have to cook, I use a 2:1 ratio of water to chicken broth.
  • I add spices to the water/chicken broth depending on what dish. For example, I use cumin and cayenne for Mexican, and I use Italian seasoning, fresh ground black pepper and a bit of olive oil for Italian dishes. For this dish I just use the chicken broth, a bit of salt and small splash of worsteshire sauce.
  • Bring the water/broth/spices mix to a rolling boil. Add chicken breast to pot, bring back to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Turn heat down and simmer for ten minutes. Then take off heat completely and let sit in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
  • Take chicken out and let cool until you can handle it.
  • Shred or cube the chicken.
  • Add to the dish it was intended for!
  • NOTE: I should probably note, this works very well for medium sized BONELESS SKINLESS breasts -- if using large or bone in pieces, it will probably take longer. Just check frequently.

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