BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese with Hidden Vegetables
Mac and Cheese with BBQ style chicken pieces and a cheese sauce that hides roasted vegetables within in it. This recipe does a great job at smashing cheesy pasta cravings while also being super macro friendly.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pan To cook the chicken pieces. I use a 12 inch high-walled cast iron pan.
- 1 Large Pot To cook the pasta. I use my 4.7L (5qt) cast iron Dutch oven.
- 1 Blender To make the cheese sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast 900g
- 454 g Elbow Macaroni or pasta of choice
- 400 g Frozen Cauliflower
- 2 medium Carrots 200g, chopped
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 ½ cups 2% Milk
- 200 g Low Fat Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 180 g Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 2 slices American Cheese
- 3 tbsp BBQ Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Dried or Fresh Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch bite sized pieces. Add the chicken and ½ tbsp of olive oil to a bowl. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and 2 tbsp BBQ seasoning.
- Set a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once heated and lightly smoking, add the seasoned chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink and browned all over or until the chicken pieces reach 165°F internally. Once cooked, set aside in a large bowl to be used for the mac and cheese later.
- Fill a large pot halfway with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil on high heat. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions. Once cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to be used for the cheese sauce. Strain the cooked pasta and add it to the large bowl with the cooked chicken.
- Preheat an oven to 425°F. Add the carrots and frozen cauliflower to a large sheet pan. Drizzle over ½ tbsp of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the veggies for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once cooked, remove from the oven.
- To make the cheese sauce, add the cooked veggies, milk, reserved pasta water, shredded cheddar cheese, slices of American cheese, 1 tbsp BBQ seasoning, salt and pepper to a blender. Pulse to break everything down, then blend on high to create a smooth cheese sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust any flavors as needed.
- Add the cheese sauce to the large bowl of cooked chicken and macaroni. Mix to combine. For meal prep, portion evenly between 6 meal prep containers. Top with shredded low fat mozzarella cheese and dried parsley. Refrigerate, then reheat when ready to serve and add sriracha, ketchup or BBQ sauce if desired.
Notes
Mac and Cheese with BBQ style chicken pieces and a cheese sauce that hides roasted vegetables within in it. This recipe does a great job at smashing cheesy pasta cravings while also being super macro friendly.