We’re talking THREE cheeses, tender garlic chicken pieces and a golden, crunchy topping. Not forgetting the creamiest delicious sauce (no cream included!).
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Mac and Cheese with Garlic Chicken
We’re talking THREE cheeses, tender garlic chicken pieces and a golden, crunchy topping. Not forgetting the creamiest delicious sauce (no cream included!).
Ingredients
Garlic Chicken
- 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 chicken breasts sliced into strips
- pinch of salt
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
Mac n Cheese:
- 400 g (14 oz) elbow macaroni
- 2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) full-fat milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 100 g (1 cup minus 2 tbsp) cheddar cheese grated
- 90 g (1 cup minus 4 tbsp) red Leicestershire cheese grated
- 35 g (1/3 cup) mozzarella cheese grated
- 120 g (2 1/2 cups minus 1 tsp) panko breadcrumbs
- pinch salt and pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- small bunch fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F (fan) and put a large pan of water on to boil ready for the macaroni.
- Starting with the garlic chicken, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic salt. Cook for around 5 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked, then add the minced garlic and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a chopping board and slice into chunks.1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil, 3 chicken breasts, pinch of salt, pinch of freshly ground black pepper, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp garlic salt, 2 cloves minced garlic
- By now the water should be boiling. Add in the macaroni and cook as per the pack instructions. Then drain in a colander.400 g (14 oz) elbow macaroni
- Meanwhile, add the butter to the frying pan that you cooked the chicken in and heat on a medium heat until melted. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 large onion
- Stir in the flour until it coats the onion, then a splash at a time, add the milk. Stir with a whisk between each addition of milk until all the milk is used and the sauce has no floury lumps.3 tbsp plain flour, 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) full-fat milk
- Continue to stir whilst heating until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the salt and pepper, half the cheddar and all of the red Leicestershire. Stir until thickened, then turn off the heat.¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 100 g (1 cup minus 2 tbsp) cheddar cheese, 90 g (1 cup minus 4 tbsp) red Leicestershire cheese
- Add the cooked macaroni and chicken to a large oven-proof dish, and pour over the sauce. Stir together, then sprinkle on the remaining cheddar and the mozzarella.35 g (1/3 cup) mozzarella cheese
- Place the panko, salt, pepper, paprika and oil in a bowl and stir together to lightly coat the panko in the oil, then sprinkle the panko on top of the macaroni.120 g (2 1/2 cups minus 1 tsp) panko breadcrumbs, pinch salt and pepper, ½ tsp paprika, 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.small bunch fresh parsley
Notes
Nutritional information is per serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 596mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Really laved this a lot so adding it to Pinterest favourites. I did also fry some mushrooms with the onion and it took it over the top. Thanks.
Most of this recipe was great but my whole family was put off by the breadcrumbs on top. They didn’t bake in very well, and stayed as a powder on top of the dish that mixed in with the pasta when it was served. It took away from the creaminess of the dish, and that’s one of the best parts about mac and cheese! Overall I would make this again but I’d skip the breadcrumbs.
Yum, mac and cheese is a match made in heaven already, I can’t even believe there are ways to make it better. But there are and this recipe is proof!
Love the addition of bread crumbs ! Thank you !
Mac n Cheese is one of my granddaughters favourite dishes. I’m looking after her tomorrow so this is going to make one little girl very happy when I make it for tea.