Blue Cheese Macaroni & Cheese with Chicken & Broccoli

Hearty and delicious, this macaroni & cheese dish had just a little tangy surprise with the addition of blue cheese to the mix.  The husband and I love blue cheese so it was no surprise that we devoured this for dinner and excitedly ate the leftovers for lunch the following day.

Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Macaroni & Cheese with Chicken & Broccoli
(adapted from The District Domestic)

1 pound penne pasta
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups blue cheese, crumbled
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 heads of broccoli, blanched and shopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13×9 baking pan.

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, but still al dente. Drain and leave in strainer until the sauce is ready.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to make a roux and stir constantly to let the flour cook, but not burn.

Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Simmer until mixture thickens, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and add grated cheddar cheese (reserving 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top before baking) and crumbled blue cheese. Whisk until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add cooked pasta, chicken, and broccoli to sauce, stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepare baking pan and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until golden brown on top (sauce will begin to be bubbling), about 25 minutes.