Easy Mac & Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole

The name says it all... Easy! This one dish meal came together for an easy week night recipe that is light on the budget. Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets the total recipe costs $12.79 which is $2.13 a serving. You can make this your own by switching up the veggies and meat. Little Man really loves chicken and broccoli so I kept with the direction of the recipe. I saw a variation that incorporated Mexican flavors and it looked fantastic. If you're a real go getter cook your noodles ahead of time, prep the veggies, and save yourself some of the grunt work by purchasing one of those juicy rotisserie chickens from the deli section. Best part about a casserole is that there are plenty for leftovers.

Easy Mac & Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole

Country Crock

Makes 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 tbsp butter melted, divided
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 8 oz rotini pasta, cooked and drained
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 4 cups frozen vegetables, thawed - I used a fresh broccoli crown cut into bite sized pieces.
• 2 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese - I used fat free.
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese - I used shaved Parmesan cheese. 

And Action:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 3 tbsp of butter with the milk, pasta, chicken, veggies, and cheddar cheese in an 8-inch baking dish.

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and remaining butter in a small bowl; sprinkle on top. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. 

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 330

Calories from Fat: 80

Fat: 9 g

Saturated Fat: 3.5 g

Trans Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 10 mg

Sodium: 330 mg

Carbohydrates: 46 g

Fiber: 3 g

Sugar: 8 g

Protein: 16 g

Vitamin A: 40%

Vitamin : 8%

Calcium: 20%

Iron: 10%

Check out Weekend Potluck for other great dinner ideas!