Easy Mac and Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What meat goes best with mac and cheese? ›

Popular choices are bacon, ground beef, shredded chicken, cooked sausage or pulled pork, which add a savory depth to the dish. Is mac and cheese for dinner? Absolutely! Mac and cheese can be a satisfying main dish, especially when paired with sides like a protein or a salad.

Try different herbs for added flavour: sage or lemon thyme work wonderfully well. For a meatier casserole, add chopped sausage or pancetta when cooking the chicken. Stir wholegrain mustard through the casserole at the end of cooking (to taste); this is especially good if you have sausage in the casserole.

For a mac and cheese recipe, consider the combination of sharper cheddar cheeses and a flavorful Parmesan. This cheese adds a boost of fruity, nutty notes to your favorite macaroni recipes.

Stinson recommends broccoli for mac and cheese purposes, but summer or winter squash, cauliflower, bell peppers, and peas also make excellent additions. Quick Tip: To give your boxed mac and cheese some added protein, stir in cooked chicken, ground beef, tofu, plant-based meat, or greek yogurt.

To improve the tang and overall cheesiness of your boxed mac, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to the cooked and drained pasta while it's still warm. Toss to combine, then stir in the cheese powder until it's uniformly blended.

Sour cream is the perfect ingredient to substitute for milk when making mac and cheese, giving it a rich and creamy flavor without sacrificing texture. It's easy to add in, and you can adjust it to your liking — add extra sour cream for more creaminess, and counter with extra cheese for more cheesiness.

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

Uncovering the foods promotes browning and crisping, and reduces the amount of liquid in the finished dish. If a casserole looks soupy when it's ready to bake, bake it uncovered unless the ingredients include pasta or rice, which absorb liquid.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

Options include: cooking vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower in the noodle water so they are ready at the same time as your Mac n cheese.

What is macaroni traditionally served with? ›

In the United States, macaroni is traditionally used in macaroni and cheese, a popular staple across generations. The name comes from Italian word maccheroni (the plural form of maccherone). Macaroni pairs well with practically any type of sauce, baked recipes, soups, salads or stir-fry dishes.

Vegetables that can be easily shredded, such as zucchini, beets, carrots or parsnips, can be added to whole-grain muffins, pancakes, soups, stir-fries, pasta sauce and casseroles. These sneaky vegetables boost flavor, texture and nutrition, often without anyone knowing they're there.