Mac-n-Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli (Vegetarian Style)
Recently I've started to see some vegetarian products in Pittsburgh grocery stores that have been readily available in other states for a while, but definitely not here. There are way more Quorn products around these days, for example.
Quorn isn't soy, so it's a nice change from the usual Morningstar and Boca products. It has a totally different texture that I happen to find better for "subbing ingredients" in traditionally meat-centric meals. It's a processed food, so I wouldn't cook with it every day, but it makes for a nice change of pace.
And HOOBOY does it work well with mac-n-cheese and broccoli. These are the things you discover when you desperately need to run to the grocery store but are too lazy to do so. I needed to make the mac-n-cheese a little more of a complete meal, and the Quorn Chick'n Tenders tucked at the back of the freezer called my name.
And then this little "thrown together" meal turned into a regular thing. Because YES, PLEASE.
Obviously, you can sub in real chicken if you so desire. It's all the same to me.
Mac-n-Cheese with Chick'n and Broccoli
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 package Quorn Chick'n Tenders (or 1 pound regular chunked chicken, if that's your sort of thing)
2 cups chopped broccoli (I used frozen because people who need to go to the grocery store don't have fresh veggies in their fridge)
8 ounces uncooked macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon corn starch
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1. You're going to need a large nonstick skillet and a medium saucepan for this. Prepare thyself.
2. Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the box using the medium saucepan.
3. While the macaroni is cooking, toss the olive oil and Quorn Chick'n in the skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the Chick'n browns evenly.
4. Toss the broccoli in with the Chick'n. Keep tossing it. Once the Chick'n is lightly browned all around, reduce the heat to low and go back to paying attention to the macaroni.
5. Drain the macaroni and toss it in the skillet with the Chick'n. Stir it up so it doesn't turn into a glob of pasta.
6. Use the saucepan that you just cleared of macaroni to make your cheese sauce. The heat should be set to medium. Toss the butter into the pan.
7. Once the butter is melted, add the cornstarch. Use a whisk to mix it all up.
9. Add the heavy cream. Whisk action, go!
10. Add the milk and get busy with that whisk some more.
11. Gradually add the cheese, whisking constantly the whole time. You'll end up with a cheese sauce once all the cheese has been added.
12. Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni, stir everything up, and add salt and pepper to taste. Way easy, right? Right!
Recipe
Reader Comments (2)
After googling what Quorn is....Its frustrating that they don't point blank say what it actually IS. So I did a little reading, and it's made somehow out of a fungus.
Darn it. Wish I hadn't read that. :p
i bet even i could make this!
you inspire me to cook...