Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Macaroni Cheese Bake

A creamy and low fat twist on traditional macaroni and cheese, mixing in tender chicken thigh pieces and mushrooms in a creamy Parmesan cheesy sauce.

Yep. That about sums it up. We can all go home now. Ok. Not really.

Who loves Macaroni Cheese? Raise yo hands in the air like ya just don’t care. Who loves Creamy Chicken and Mushroom, with broccoli and other good things? Raise yo’ hands again and keep waving em, I see you. But then, mixing all that up with Parmesan Cheese. Who woulda thunk it? Me, that’s who.

Ok, now you’re probably thinking, this girl isn’t normal. But I ask you, what is normal? It’s a hard question. I’m the first to admit there may be a few screws loose up in my head. Loose and partying it up with carbs. So, I think I’ll keep my head just the way it is.

This take on Macaroni cheese is a family favourite. The only way to get our kids to eat vegetables is wrapping them all up in a creamy cheesy sauce, and making it fun with macaronis.

And this sauce is just oh.sa.yuuuhmmy your kids will love you. You’re guests will wanna pay you. And yourself will love the master chef beaming from within your soul.

The way the cream creams around the soft vegetables, and the tender chicken pieces, with the flavour of Parmesan…and more cream…and then the pasta coming through all of that. Well, I’ll take 2 bowls. Or three. Because carbs are good, but better with cheese.

Honeslty, we may still be in a carb coma from that Tortellini with Chunky Beef Sauce, but we wanted more I tell you…more.

And, at the same time, we wanted something a little different. To think I wasn’t going to shoot these, or share the recipe, because it’s so old skool in this family, it’s kind of just routine to make it…and destroy it like we’re some sort of nuclear weapon.

But first, let me warn you. The creamy parmesan aroma coming from the oven and sifting through the house will have your stomach making so many weird noises and going crazy like a lightening storm in Summer. It’s one of those open.the.oven.50.million.times.to.see.if.it’s.ready.yet — like Homer Simpson would do.

So now, I bid your farewell…until next time…next recipe…peace out carb lovers.

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Macaroni Cheese Bake

Weight Watchers: 8pp per serve

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Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 x 500g | 17oz packet macaroni pasta
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 carrot , washed, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 red capsicum/bell pepper , washed, seeded and diced
• 500 g | 1lbs boneless , skinless chicken thigh fillets, cubed
• 1 head of broccoli , washed and cut into florets
• 200 g | 7oz sliced mushrooms , washed
• 2 cloves garlic , minced or finely chopped
• 500 ml light cooking cream (I used 2x tubs Philadelphia Extra Light cream for cooking)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable stock powder (Vegeta)
• Salt to season
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese , grated and divided

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200c | 390f.
• Cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water, following packet directions until tender. Drain pasta in a colander and pour into a deep baking dish. Set aside.
• While pasta is boiling, pan fry in a large and deep frying pan/skillet, onion and carrot until onion is transparent. Add the chicken, broccoli and mushrooms, and cook until chicken has browned and broccoli has softened slightly. Stir through garlic, cooking cream, stock powder and salt (adjust to your tastes). When cream begins to simmer, remove from heat and stir through 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Pour Creamy Chicken onto pasta and stir through really well to combine.
• Change oven setting to grill/broil on medium heat. Sprinkle pasta and chicken mixture with remaining cheese, and place into oven to brown on top.
• When golden on top, remove from oven and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.3g | Protein: 19.7g | Fat: 7.8g | Fiber: 0.8g