Tuscan Chicken Mac And Cheese Recipe
Want an easy, fuss-free, and absolutely delicious one-pot dinner in 30 minutes? Then, give this creamy Tuscan style Chicken Mac and Cheese a try.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
To Cook The Chicken
- 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
For The Pasta
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 7 ounces sun-dried tomatoes plus 2 tablespoon of oil from the jar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 16 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni pasta
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt to taste
- crushed black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Cook The Chicken
- Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry using paper tissues.
- Pound them using a meat tenderizer until they are 1 inch thick.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter is melted and the oil is hot, arrange the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer.
- Sprinkle with some salt, black pepper powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown from the bottom.
- Then flip them using a pair of tongs and sprinkle the other side with salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep it aside.
Make The Pasta
- Add onions and garlic to the same pan and saute until onions turn transparent (45-50 seconds), stirring frequently.
- Scrape the browned chicken bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and oil from the jar and cook for 50-60 seconds.
- Now add all-purpose flour and cook for 30-35 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add chicken broth and milk, and stir well.
- Add macaroni and mix everything well.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the macaroni is al dente, stirring frequently.
- Add spinach and mix well.
- Now add parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese and cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is melted.
- If the sauce is too thick, add some more milk. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken some more once it starts to cool down.
- Check for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
- Slice the cooked chicken into strips and stir it in the pasta.
- Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
You can use cayenne pepper instead of paprika in the recipe.
Add a splash of white wine to make the pasta dish more indulgent.
Nutrition
Calories: 951kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 1644mg | Potassium: 2678mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 2906IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 799mg | Iron: 7mg
