PBS/ Recipes

Creamy Shells n’ Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

You guys know I love my mac & cheese.

I have several mac & cheese recipes on this site, compiled over the years. I wonder how many blocks of cheddar I’ve gone through since I started blogging in 2007? Or maybe I don’t want to know. Anyway, I love mac & cheese so much that I’m serving it at my wedding. I can’t wait to share the entire menu with y’all but I want to keep it a secret for my wedding guests! But I’ll tell you this — margaritas, mac & cheese and carrot cake are heavily involved. How could you go wrong?

This is ultimate comfort food. I made it a few days ago when we had a day of pouring rain, wind and fog. It hit the spot.

When I was a kid, my favorite food was Velveeta Shells n’ Cheese.

Don’t look at me like that. I know you liked it, too.

Well, this is my hearty homemade version! It’s made entirely on the stove so you don’t need to waste time with the oven. Chunks of cooked chicken {either rotisserie, baked or grilled works great!} and broccoli are stirred in to the rich, creamy cheese sauce. This is totally a dinner your entire family will be loving!

Hope you guys like it!! The recipe is over at PBS Food!

This cute vintage spoon is from Jessica N Designs!

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  • Maria
    March 22, 2013 at 7:13 am

    Yay for comfort food!

  • Tieghan
    March 22, 2013 at 7:15 am

    This looks so good! Cheddar cheese, shells and broccoli are a match made in heaven!

  • Yohann
    March 22, 2013 at 7:16 am

    Comfort food is the best! Where did you get your spoons?!

  • Niecy
    March 22, 2013 at 7:17 am

    That spoon is adorbs! where can i get it? Cant wait to try this recipe, I have made a few from your site & they were all hits!

  • Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
    March 22, 2013 at 7:21 am

    Mac n cheese is the best. That spoon is just too cute!

  • Coco
    March 22, 2013 at 7:21 am

    Mmm, sounds like classic comfort food. As does your wedding menu! Those are some lucky guests. 🙂

  • Sarah @ Yogi in Action
    March 22, 2013 at 7:24 am

    Mmm- I saw your picture on twitter a couple of days ago and I’ve been craving mac and cheese ever since. I’m so glad you posted the recipe!

    I love that your wedding will have good food- so many weddings I’ve been to have had terrible menus!

  • Colleen
    March 22, 2013 at 7:25 am

    My favorite when I was a kid was totally Kraft. My mom hardly ever let me have it, so I overdid it when I was a teen/college student :). My kiddos will love this, but the scale is creeping up for me, so I’ll make it just for them.

  • joelle (on a pink typewriter)
    March 22, 2013 at 7:31 am

    I vote you share more of your wedding plans stuff here on the blog. 🙂 Understandable about keeping the menu a surprise from guests, though- that’s one of the key parts of a wedding, if you ask me!

  • Dana
    March 22, 2013 at 7:31 am

    Love the spoon and LOVE this recipe!! I want it now! And that’s even after a bout with food poisoning yesterday (feeling much better today) and the fact that it’s 10:30am in NJ. I’m so making this this weekend!

  • Renae
    March 22, 2013 at 7:37 am

    Questions:
    1) can the milk be skim?
    2) do you have a broccoli shortcut? can i use the microwave steam kind?

    I am totally making this for dinner tonight. We’re supposed to be getting 6 inches of snow here in the next 24-36 hours and I want something yummy and comforting!! Thanks!

    • jenna
      March 22, 2013 at 7:41 am

      1. Yes, but I don’t recommend it because it’s not as creamy. I used reduced fat and it was perfect.
      2. Yes to the microwave steam kind. I used a package from Trader Joe’s in a sealed tupperware container. 🙂

      Enjoy! Mac and cheese is perfect for snow days!

  • Heather
    March 22, 2013 at 7:46 am

    Totally had mac & cheese at our wedding too! And pulled pork sandwiches om nom nom.

  • Amanda
    March 22, 2013 at 7:58 am

    Velveeta was totally one of my favorite meals as a kid, too. That and grilled cheese 🙂

  • Sarah @ An Apple A Day
    March 22, 2013 at 8:01 am

    Cute Spoon!

  • Laura
    March 22, 2013 at 8:12 am

    Can’t wait to hear about about your upcoming wedding! Rock on Jenna!

  • Sharla
    March 22, 2013 at 8:21 am

    Oh yum!! This looks amazing! I practically lived off mac & cheese ages 5-21, but can’t handle that much dairy now 🙁 boo!

  • Dana @ Conscious Kitchen Blog
    March 22, 2013 at 8:39 am

    Another fabulous mac and cheese recipe. Keep them coming!

  • Caroline L.
    March 22, 2013 at 8:43 am

    I just drooled a little (a lot). This looks so cheesy and wonderful! And your wedding menu sounds ridiculously amazing – can’t wait to hear the rest of it!

  • Avery @ YoungAspirations
    March 22, 2013 at 9:15 am

    There are few things better than a good mac ‘n cheese recipe. Good ness. This looks amaaazing! Plus, any wedding with mac ‘n cheese is already a good one in my book! Excited for you 🙂

  • erin @hooleywithaz
    March 22, 2013 at 9:30 am

    oh.my.gosh. i’m tempted to make this TONIGHT. i’m drooling right now.

  • Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl
    March 22, 2013 at 9:38 am

    There is just nothing better than homemade mac & cheese!!!

  • Averie @ Averie Cooks
    March 22, 2013 at 9:46 am

    I love that you’re serving mac ‘n cheese at your wedding! And what a cute spoon!

  • Anne
    March 22, 2013 at 9:46 am

    Haha oh my gosh, as much as I strongly prefer the real thing to processed foods 99.9% of the time, when it comes to Mac n cheese, I’m Kraft all the way!

    As a fellow blue box lover I might have to try your version!!

  • Makenzie Ann
    March 22, 2013 at 11:06 am

    I totally wanna make this tonight 🙂 can’t wait to hear about your wedding menu!!!!!

  • Kate
    March 22, 2013 at 11:21 am

    Your pumpkin mac & cheese has become a staple in my dinner rotation, and I’ve passed it along to several friends, too!

    • Dana
      March 22, 2013 at 11:26 am

      Ditto to Kate! LOVE, LOVE LOVE the pumpkin shells and cheese! Incredible.

  • Blair at The Seasoned Mom.com
    March 22, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    I think you’ve managed to include all of my boys’ favorite foods in one dish. We will definitely be making this soon!

  • Angela
    March 22, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    Love the spoon! Too cute. 🙂 My go to easy dinner is Annie’s white cheddar shells, chicken sausage and broccoli all mixed together. I will have to try this one night instead. 🙂

  • a farmer in the dell
    March 22, 2013 at 3:02 pm

    LOVE the spoon!

  • Jen
    March 22, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    This looks so easy! I usually go with the boxed mac and cheese, but I think even I can handle this recipe. 🙂 Do you grate your own cheese? Or would the bagged shredded cheese work just as well?

  • Emily @ Life on Food
    March 22, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    Lookin’ good. Kind of like Annie’s but I am sure so much better!

  • Ja @Athlete Within Ja
    March 22, 2013 at 5:23 pm

    I love love Mac N Cheese. You can never go wrong with that. It’s a good idea that you are serving it in your wedding. It’s nice that you incorporated your fave food to your menu. 🙂

  • Ali | Gimme Some Oven
    March 22, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    Ha – I admit, I was a bit fan of the Velveeta version too. This looks fabulous! Adorable spoon too!

  • Megan @ Megan's Miles
    March 22, 2013 at 6:00 pm

    You can’t go wrong with mac and cheese – will definitely make this soon! Thanks for another great recipe!

  • Dana
    March 22, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    mm Velveta mac and cheese was always my favorite too!

  • kelsey
    March 22, 2013 at 7:31 pm

    NOM my absolute favorite food was velveeta shells and cheese. I am pretty sure by the time I was 5 I could finish a box myself, whether it made me sick to or not, haha! LOVE this post.

  • Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
    March 22, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    Yummy! Comfort foods at it’s best — especially when it’s still freakishly cold!!!!

  • Miss Kim
    March 23, 2013 at 3:46 am

    I LOVE comfort food on rainy days. It warms my heart while hitting the spot. This dish reminds me of my carefree childhood.

  • Live Love Yum
    March 23, 2013 at 5:08 am

    What Tv series are you guys watching now? Y’know, it goes hand in hand with the rainy night and all 🙂

  • Amy Walters, A DESIGN DOCK
    March 23, 2013 at 5:54 am

    Just hopped over to check out the recipe…and I love it! So simple. So comforting. So cheesy. Cheers!

  • Jane @ Not Plain So Jane
    March 23, 2013 at 5:01 pm

    Yum! I loved Velveeta mac & cheese as a kid but think it is pretty gross now (the squeezeable cheese packet?!). Homemade mac & cheese all the way!

  • Malkire
    March 24, 2013 at 4:51 am

    Mmmmmm. The winter in Boston this year as been so snowy that my husband and I have begun to only eat Mac and cheese when we get snowed in. It is just so comfy. But, we are so happy to have spring come so we don’t become lazy cheese balls.

  • Manny"the health nut"
    March 24, 2013 at 11:17 am

    Yes, everyone MUST stop eating the bright orange chemical filled store-bought mac and cheese products which are deadly for our kids.

  • Jenny Michelle
    March 24, 2013 at 11:58 am

    Wow this made my mouth water! There is something about cheese and broccoli that is oh so delicious:) Looks MUCH better than mac and cheese with velveeta.

  • Halle Graham
    March 24, 2013 at 3:54 pm

    Ahh! I tried this dish last night, and fell in LOVE. My mom just admitted this is now her favorite Mac n cheese, better than her moms that has been our favorite for years….thanks for this one!

  • Jess
    March 25, 2013 at 2:01 am

    Yummy!!! This looks so yummy. I just can’t wait to try it out. I love broccoli that is why this recipe made me hungry. Healthy and delicious indeed.

  • Kenneth Pierce
    March 25, 2013 at 5:58 am

    I got really hungry while looking at your blog. I am addicted to anything creamy. Actually, I prefer creamy sauce over tomatoes. This one looks really good and don’t stop making mac n’ cheese. Make a lot of versions of it and the carrot cake is really a good combo.

  • Pippa@popovertopippas
    March 25, 2013 at 6:44 am

    I am eating breakfast, but I sort of wish I were having this right now instead of my english muffin and peanut butter!

  • katie
    March 25, 2013 at 7:12 am

    Wow looks amazing and i bet it smelt divine! I don’t know why but i haven’t mac and cheese for ages and i love it so much. Will definitely try out this recipe, thanks for sharing!

  • Michelle
    March 25, 2013 at 11:45 am

    This is my favorite kind of mac n cheese.

  • Amy @ Elephant Eats
    March 26, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    Velveeta shells and cheese with the squeeze pack was (still is!) my fave kinda mac n cheese. There’s just no way to reproduce it without buying that square of velveeta cheese to melt in. Mmmmm. This looks like a pretty good, and most likely healthier, version 🙂

  • Gina
    March 26, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    That spoon is too cute! This looks delicious. Who doesn’t love Mac and cheese?!

  • Stephanie @ Macaroni and Cheesecake
    March 27, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    This looks so creamy and comforting!! I’m in love!:)

  • Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
    March 28, 2013 at 11:03 am

    I love adding chicken and veggies to my boxed mac and cheese so this recipe is definitely something I would make. Love the spoon!

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  • Eliza
    April 11, 2013 at 5:23 pm

    I made this tonight. My family LOVED it! Seconds for everyone. Thanks!