Ever since I was a little girl, Macaroni and Cheese has been one of my favorite meals.  But now that I’m a bit more grown-up, I feel just a little childish admitting that.  Luckily, I found a great recipe for a more adult version of Macaroni and Cheese on AllRecipes.com.  Just the name sounds delicious – Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
• 4 cups small broccoli florets
• 2 cups shredded roasted chicken
• 1 cup fresh Italian plum tomatoes, seeded if desired
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces or snipped with scissor

Directions

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large soup kettle. Add salt and pasta. Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente. Add broccoli to the boiling pasta during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. To prevent sticking, drain and immediately pour onto a large lipped baking sheet and let cool while preparing sauce.
2. Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.
3. Add drained pasta (and optional flavoring ingredients, see notes) to sauce. Stir chicken, tomatoes and basil along with the sauce into the hot pasta, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat. Stir to heat through, and thin with a little water if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.

Bon Appetit!

What’s been your favorite meal ever since you were little?

~TSGal