Chicken and Macaroni Bake with Broccoli Salad
Macaroni cheese is enhanced here with the addition of cooked chicken.
You can either cook the chicken yourself, buy shredded chicken or do as I did, and make your own hearty, healthy [link http://recipeyum.com.au/chicken-soup-using-chicken-frames/ chicken soup], and use the meat leftover from this. This also gives the dish an added flavour, and gives you several other meals as well.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Macaroni
¼ cup shallots
1½ tbsp butter
175 g can cream of chicken soup
1 ¼ cups cheese, grated
½ cup milk
About 1¾ cups cooked shredded chicken
¼ cup Ritz crackers, roughly crushed
For the broccoli salad
1 broccoli
½ cup shallots (or red onions)
6 rashers shortcut bacon, cut into pieces
2½ tbsp vinegar
¾ cup good quality mayonnaise
¼ cup sugar
1¼ cups mozzarella cheese, grated
Method
For the macaroni
Cook the macaroni as per packet instructions, and drain.
Preheat the oven to 180°/160° fan forced.
Cook the onions in butter in a wok or large frypan, until they are tender -about 5 minutes.
Add in the soup, and ¾ of the grated cheese.
Gradually stir in the milk.
Cook slowly until the cheese melts, and then add the chicken and macaroni. Add salt and pepper if required - I only added pepper as the cheese has enough salt.
Transfer it to a greased casserole dish, and sprinkle with the Ritz cracker crumbs.
Ritz crackers slightly crushed on top
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Take out and add the remaining grated cheese, and bake a further 5 - 10 minutes.
For the Broccoli salad
Cook the bacon and the onion for a few minutes - the onion could be left raw however I prefer it slightly cooked.
Cut the broccoli into small florets and I cooked it for about 45 seconds in the microwave.
Mix the broccoli, bacon, onions and mozzarella in a bowl.
In another small bowl, mix the sugar, vinegar and mayonnaise.
Pour this over the broccoli mixture and mix it to coat the broccoli.
This is good if it is made a day ahead as the dressing soaks into the broccoli.
Serve on the side with the macaroni.
Categories
#dinner
#family
#healthy
#vegetables
#cooked_chicken
#macaroni
#broccoli
#bacon
%recipeyum
227726 - 2023-07-17 10:31:07