Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese
| Prep | Cook | Total | Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Min | 30 Min | 40 Min | 6 |
Ingredients
- 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts pounded to 1-inch thickness (or 4 boneless and skinless chicken thigh fillets)
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (sweet or smokey)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon oil, divided (use olive or canola oil)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic finely diced
- 1/3 cup white wine OPTIONAL (use chicken broth instead if you wish)
- 9 oz (250g) jarred sun dried tomato strips in oil (reserve 2 tablespoons of oil and drain the rest)
- 3 level tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups milk OR light cream* or half and half, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- 10 ounces (300g) elbow macaroni uncooked (3 cups!)
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup grated cheese Cheddar or Gruyere
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, dried parsley and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Heat the remaining oil in a large (30cm or 12-inch) pot or pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden brown, cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Transfer chicken to a warm plate, tent with foil and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the butter and fry the onion and garlic until the onion becomes transparent, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes).
- Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until beginning to reduce down.
- Add the sun dried tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the sun dried tomato oil from the jar and cook for 1-2 minutes to release as much flavour as possible.
- Stir the flour into the pot and allow to cook for a further minute.
- Then, add the broth, 2 1/2 cups of milks (or cream/half and half), herbs, salt and pepper, and bring to a very low simmer (lower the heat if you need to).
- Add the dry macaroni and stir occasionally as it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat down to medium low and stir regularly while it cooks (for about 9 - 10 minutes), or until the sauce thickens and the macaroni is just cooked (al dente: tender but still firm).
- Add the spinach and stir through until wilted.
- Take the pot off the stove and stir all of the cheese in quickly. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce it too thick, add the remaining 1/2 cup milk (or cream) in 1/4 cup increments, until reaching desired thickness. Keep in mind the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Slice the chicken into strips and stir through the pasta (pour in any juices left from the chicken).
- Sprinkle with parsley, and stir through. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes
- Full fat milk is preferred for maximum flavour, but low fat milk is ok. You can also use a light cream, heavy cream or evaporated milk.
- For added cream flavour, add in 1/2 cup light cream (or heavy cream if you wish), right before right before adding in the spinach. Allow it to get hot before adding in the spinach!
How to make mac and cheese
Choose a large pan to fit everything in and avoid unnecessary spillage (anything above 30-cm or 12-inches, or over 6-quart is perfect).
Sear skinless and boneless chicken thighs OR breasts. We prefer thighs in this, but breasts are just as good if you don’t like dark meat.
Use dry pasta… there’s no need to pre-boil anything.
I use white wine in this as I LOVE the flavour it adds, but you can add chicken broth instead!
Mac and cheese sauce
- For the sake of keeping this Mac n Cheese as close to the traditional Mac N Cheese we all love, I use butter as the base. You CAN use oil if you like!
- Retain 2 tablespoons of the oil that the sun dried tomatoes come in. You can use more or less if you like, but I LOVE the flavour in that oil!
- I choose to use flour in the sauce to also keep the Mac n cheese tradition alive and well. It does not necessarily create a roux, but it’s similar in taste. If you find lumps from the flour after you first add it in, DON’T WORRY. They do eventually cook through when you add the liquids in and they begin to heat up.
- When you add your liquids, stir the flour through really well. You’ll see it begin to thicken with the heat.
- Regularly stir the pasta in the sauce mixture so it doesn’t end up in one big lump of a mess. Stir it every minute or so and watch the magic unfold!
- For a deeper cream flavour, add in 1/2 cup light cream or heavy cream if you prefer right before adding in the spinach!
As soon as the pasta is al dente (not too soft), take it off the heat! Remember, it will continue to cook in the hot sauce, and you don’t want to end up with mushy pasta.
Cheese
For this Tuscan Chicken Mac And Cheese I used Parmesan, mozzarella and a touch of cheddar, but you can use whatever cheese you feel will taste good with this.
Optional add ins
You can add sliced mushrooms, pork instead of chicken, chicken thighs OR breasts, zucchini if you wish, diced eggplant, fire roasted peppers instead of sun dried tomatoes…the choices are endless!
