Chicken, Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Name: Chicken Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup elbow macaroni; 3 cups broccoli (chopped); 5 slices bacon; 1 pound chicken breasts (cubed); 1 tsp salt; 1 Tbsp garlic (minced); 1/8 tsp turmeric; 1.25 cups half and half; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 1 cup cheddar cheese; 1/2 tsp black pepper

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This easy, baked CHICKEN, BACON AND BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE recipe is one you will love. For busy weeknights but packed with flavor enough to help fill any holiday table. We take mac and cheese to a new level by adding in delicious protein and vegetables to make a complete meal.

A skillet filled with cheesy casserole topped with bacon sits next to a blue-patterned plate holding a serving of the casserole containing visible pieces of chicken, broccoli, and melted cheese.

There are a few recipes you HAVE to know how to make to be a card carrying Southern cook. Our traditional MAC AND CHEESE is on that list. Here at The Buttered Home, I like to think of us as problem solvers.

That is why I like to develop different versions of recipes to fit different needs. Love a recipe? Need it low carb? Let’s do that. Love a recipe? Want it more suited to a whole meal? Let’s do that too. That is what we have done here.

Ingredients

Traditional mac and cheese uses ground mustard. The only ingredient different here is the use of turmeric. That flavorful yellow spice really adds to this recipe. If you don’t have it or don’t like it, substitute it with any other warm spice.

A blue patterned plate holds a serving of cheesy casserole with chunks of potato, broccoli, and bacon. A larger pot with more of the casserole is in the background, all on a wooden table with a spoon beside the plate.

What You’ll Need

Elbow macaroni
Precooked Broccoli
Bacon
Chicken Breasts
Salt, all purpose flour, garlic, pepper and turmeric
Half and half
Sharp cheddar cheese
Chicken broth

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Instructions

Like other creamy mac and cheese dishes or casseroles, this one is done in stages. It looks like a lot but it really is worth it!

Preheat the oven on the broiler setting. I like mine low or medium.

Chopped raw chicken on a blue cutting board, cooked elbow macaroni and broccoli in a colander over a pot, and diced bacon cooking in a skillet on a stove beside a wooden spoon.

Start by cooking your elbow macaroni. Steam your broccoli if using the steam bag kind or drop your fresh broccoli in with your pasta about the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside.

A pan with cubed raw chicken cooks on a stovetop next to a wooden cutting board. To the left, a pot contains cooked pasta and broccoli.

In a large skillet, cut and cook bacon. Drain, set aside and reserve the grease. Add cut chicken to the pan with the drippings and sprinkle with a little salt.

A person adds minced garlic to a frying pan with pieces of chicken on a stovetop. Next to the stove is a wooden cutting board holding a slotted spoon, napkin, and a colander of cooked pasta with broccoli.

Cook chicken over medium heat. Add garlic and stir to make sure it doesn’t burn.

A person holds a container of turmeric over a stovetop skillet with diced chicken; beside it, cooked pasta with broccoli sits in a colander on a wooden cutting board with a slotted spoon and paper towels.

Add in turmeric and mix well.

Overhead view of a person adding salt to a blue and white bowl on a wooden counter, with cooked macaroni and broccoli on the left and a pan of cooked chicken pieces on the stove to the right.

In a medium bowl, add salt.

A hand holds a small glass bowl of milk above a blue-patterned bowl. Cooked pasta with broccoli is in a colander on the left, and a pan with cooked chicken is on the stove to the right. A slotted spoon rests on a napkin.

Add in half and half.

A person pours liquid from a measuring cup into a bowl of cream on a wooden counter. Nearby are a pan with cooked chicken pieces and a bowl of pasta with broccoli. A slotted spoon rests on a paper towel.

Chicken broth.

A person measures white powder from a jar over a bowl. Nearby are cooked pasta with greens, a slotted spoon on a napkin, and a skillet of yellow diced chicken on a stovetop.

And all purpose flour. Whisk to mix well.

A person holds a bowl of white sauce over a pan with diced yellow ingredients on a stovetop. A whisk is visible in the pan, and a serving spoon rests on a napkin on a wooden countertop nearby.

Pour into the skillet with the chicken. Mix well.

A strainer with cooked pasta and broccoli sits on a wooden counter beside a whisk and paper towel. Nearby, hands break food into a pot of yellow sauce on a stove.

Season with pepper and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens.

A person pours cooked pasta and green vegetables from a colander into a baking dish, with a pot of yellow sauce and cubed ingredients on the stove beside a wooden cutting board.

Once thickened, add in broccoli and pasta.

A person in a pink sweater adds shredded cheese from a bag into a pot of pasta and broccoli on a stove. A metal colander, whisk, and paper towel are on a wooden countertop nearby.

Add in half of the cheese and mix well.

A metal colander with vegetable remnants sits on a wooden counter next to a slotted spoon, whisk, and paper towel. On the stove, a large pan contains a broccoli and cheese mixture.

Add the remainder of the cheese to the top and remove from the heat.

A person holds a paper towel with cooked bacon bits over a stove, preparing to add them to a pan of shredded cheese-topped food. A colander, utensils, and paper towels rest on a wooden counter nearby.

Top with crumbled, cooked bacon. Place under the preheated broiler for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned.

A blue and white plate holds a serving of macaroni and cheese with broccoli, topped with melted cheddar cheese and crispy bacon pieces, on a wooden table.

Once browned and bubbly, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve and enjoy!

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

My sweet Momma was famous for lots of great recipes. One was her chicken casserole. Another was her mac and cheese. Both of these foods fill me with memories of her. Food is a good tool for memories. This recipe can be one that folks remember you by and think of with joy in their hearts.

Variations and Substitutions

While this recipe is a variation all on its own, here are some really great ideas to make this even better!

Bacon – use turkey bacon to make it a bit healthier or even just add MORE! There is no such thing as too much bacon!
Make it spicy – add a bit of cayenne with the turmeric or even a few crushed red pepper flakes for a bit of simple spice. Adding peppers at your desired level of spiciness can be a nice addition too!
Crunchy top – You can add some crunchy texture to the top by combining the cheese with some bread crumbs or parmesan cheese before going under the broiler.

Equipment

🔧 I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!

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How to Store this Easy Chicken Bacon Broccoli Pasta

This creamy bacon and chicken mac and cheese will keep for a week in the refrigerator. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Most times, pasta dishes do not freeze well. If you did want to try, I suggest under cooking pasta slightly, prepare as normal, cool and cover tightly to freeze. I would not freeze for longer than a month. Thaw and reheat in a warm oven.

A blue and white plate holds a serving of cheesy casserole with visible broccoli, cauliflower, melted cheddar cheese, and bacon pieces. A fork rests beside the plate on a wooden surface, with a casserole dish in the background.

⭐ LOVE THIS RECIPE? It would mean so very much to me if you would take a moment to rate this recipe and leave me a sweet comment in the recipe card below! ❤️❤️We hope you love all of the Southern and healthy recipes we share here at The Buttered Home and would love to see you back here often!

**DON’T MISS OUR TIPS AND TRICKS BELOW THE RECIPE CARD!

A plate with a serving of cheesy chicken, broccoli, and bacon casserole on a blue and white dish, with a spoon beside it and the casserole dish in the background on a wooden surface.

Chicken Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese just got an upgrade! We add protein and veggies with chicken and broccoli to make this delicious comfort food dish in one pan! Cheesy and delicious.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Serving Size

Ingredients

3/4 cup elbow macaroni
3 cups broccoli chopped
5 slices bacon
1 pound chicken breasts cubed
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp garlic minced
1/8 tsp turmeric
1.25 cups half and half
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the broiler to medium or low setting. Cook elbow pasta in a pinch salt according to package directions for al dente. During the last few minutes of cooking, add chopped broccoli. Drain and set aside.
3/4 cup elbow macaroni, 3 cups broccoli, 1 tsp salt
In a large skillet, cook bacon. Drain and set aside to crumble when it cools. In the same pan, add chicken breasts that has been cubed into bite size pieces. Season the chicken with half of the teaspoon salt. Cook in the pan drippings over medium heat until chicken has browned. Add minced garlic and cook a minute more, stirring often to prevent burning.
5 slices bacon, 1 pound chicken breasts, 1 Tbsp garlic
Add in the turmeric and cook a minute more. In a large bowl, mix another half a teaspoon of salt, half and half, chicken broth and flour. Whisk to combine. Pour over chicken in skillet. Season with pepper. Increase the heat to a soft boil and boil a few minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat.
1/8 tsp turmeric, 1.25 cups half and half, 1 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp black pepper
Stir in half of the cheese and spread evenly in the pan. Top with the other half of the cheese and reserved bacon. Broil on low to medium until bubbly and slightly brown.
1 cup cheddar cheese

See How To Make It!

Notes

*Pro Tip* if you didn’t want to use turmeric, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of ground mustard.

What to serve with this Creamy Chicken, Bacon and Broccoli Mac:

Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Tenderloin

Cucumber and Onion Sour Cream Salad

Bacon Cornbread Salad

How to Make Simple and Easy Kale Salad

🍴 PRO TIP!

If you wanted this with a bit more of a baked texture, top it with bread crumbs and cheese and pop in a 350 oven for about 15 to 20 min!

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

Can I use pre cooked chicken?

Yes! This recipe is a great one to use shredded rotisserie chicken in. You just would need to just cook the chicken a little less since it is already cooked.

Can I make this ahead?

This recipe is a meal preppers dream. Cook and assemble as directed up until the point of broiling. Cover tightly and it will keep in the refrigerator for two days. Heat slightly in a warm oven before broiling as suggested in the recipe.

My does my pasta always get mushy?

It is probably due to over cooking. Most package directions give the perfect timing for al dente pasta. This will insure the pasta is not over done in the first round of cooking which leads to the mushy pasta syndrome. Under cooking when you handle it two times is better.