Chicken Mac and Cheese is laden with three delicious cheeses, sautéed chicken, and tastes absolutely divine. It’s Southern cooking at its best – with this traditional mac and cheese made even more delicious with the addition of skillet-cooked chicken.
My girls have been teasing me lately about my mac and cheese obsession. “Mom, what doesn’t go with mac and cheese except the kitchen sink?” Although I know they are being a bit sassy, all I’m thinking about is my new recipe idea: “Kitchen Sink Mac and Cheese.”
But really, what doesn’t go with mac and cheese, especially protein-wise? I cannot think of a meat that does not benefit from the complement of the creamy, cheesy goodness that is macaroni and cheese. From hot dogs to skirt steak to tuna fish, virtually any meat or seafood can be combined with mac and cheese and taste heavenly – even lobster. Southern chefs know this – that’s why they pair shrimp with cheese grits, because cheese complements both the pasta and the seafood.
So I know what I’m doing by adding chicken to this delicious, three-cheese mac and cheese. The beauty of this is that if you’re feeling adventurous, you can put a spin on the chicken cookery for different flavor fusions. From buffalo-style baked chicken to air-fried chicken to barbecued chicken to sautéing your chicken as you do for this recipe – all will taste delicious against this incredibly cheesy mac and cheese that uses a unique and tasty trio of Parmesan, mozzarella (that’s for the stretch factor), and cheddar (that’s for the flavor factor). If you’re running short on time, rotisserie chicken works marvelously!
The Secret of Sautéed Chicken Like Restaurants Do It
The beauty part of sautéing anything is you get to call it sautéing and sound all French and whatnot. Sautéing means to pan-fry in fat until brown (as opposed to frying in deep fat until brown).
But the real secret to sautéing chicken that restaurant chefs know all about is that you must enable it to brown properly. That can only happen via two elements: heat and air. But you need both for the magic to happen. Many new home cooks make the mistake of thinking the more chicken they fry at a time, the quicker they can sit down and rest, perhaps, or the quicker they can get done and eat. Maybe – but the chicken will suffer for it in flavor and texture.
The real secret to sautéed and fried chicken is kind of the secret to good mommy-ing too . . . sometimes everyone and everything needs a little space. To grow, to think, to crisp … Heat and air combine when we’re cooking anything which is why convection ovens use fans and why air fryers are all the rage right now. When we got our Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer, my youngest daughter, who is three said, “Oh, boy! We’re going to fry air!”
But seriously, crowding the pan is the worst thing you can do when cooking. Your food cannot get crisp with another piece of food nudged against it. The hot air rising from your skillet needs to surround each nugget of chicken to get it that golden, delicious brown that creates all the yumminess that is fried chicken.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
If you want to freeze this casserole, the best way to do it is with all the steps completed except for the final cooking part. Then, bake from frozen or defrost in the fridge only. Also, drape just a little more cheese on that halfway through, just in case the freezer dries yours out a bit.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with something complementary. Something crunchy would be nice against all this melty, stretchy, lovely cheese. How about my fun Crispy Onion Rings, and maybe something just full of veggies and delicious like my Ratatouille. For dessert, there is nothing more yummy and guaranteed to fill your table with smiles and laughter than my Snicker Cupcakes. They’re fun-looking, heavenly chocolate cupcakes filled with caramel and are scrumdiddlyumptious.
Chicken Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or your choice of pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pasta as per the package instructions. Once done, drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they’re no longer pink and fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- Using the same skillet, cook the chopped onions until they’re soft and translucent, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the flour over the cooked onions and garlic, stirring to combine. Cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Gradually whisk in the milk and dried mustard, and cook until the mixture starts to thicken. Stir in the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses until they melt and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cooked chicken and pasta to the cheese sauce, stirring to ensure everything is well coated. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the Chicken Mac and Cheese hot, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese for an extra touch of flavor.
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