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About This Recipe
Another mac and cheese recipe and you know I’m here for it! This is a great comfort food dish that comes together in just 30 minutes. It has all the best flavors and is seriously so cozy!
Since this tuscan macaroni and cheese comes together so quickly it makes an awesome weeknight dinner option. But it also holds up great in the fridge, so it works good for meal prep too.
This is an all-in-one dish with protein, carbs and veggies, so you may not want to serve it with anything else but if you do, something simple like broccoli or green beans would be good.
For more protein packed mac and cheese, try cottage cheese macaroni or buffalo chicken mac and cheese
Why You’ll Love This Tuscan Mac and Cheese
- The perfect healthier take on comfort food!
- Macro-balanced and packed with lots of fresh veggies, carbs and lean protein.
- Made in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep
- A family favorite! Customize or omit veggies to your family’s preferences!
- Chicken – I used chicken breasts but chicken thighs would also work. You could also use rotisserie chicken here and skip the step with cooking the chicken.
- Macaroni noodles – I used large elbow macaroni noodles but any short pasta will work here. Use your favorite pasta or gluten-free if needed.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – the kind in oil.
- Olive oil – make sure to use light olive oil for sautéing, extra virgin olive oil may work, it’s just more likely to burn. You could also use avocado oil, vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Mushrooms – I used bella mushrooms. If mushrooms aren’t your thing, you can always replace with another vegetable or leave out entirely.
- Onion – I used a yellow onion a white onion onion or shallot would also work!
- Butter – we’ll use a little butter for this recipe just to bring some classic rich flavor to this mac and cheese dish. Use dairy-free if needed.
- Flour – I used all purpose flour for this recipe. Use gluten-free flour if needed.
- Milk – I used unsweetened almond milk but any milk works. For a richer taste, use heavy cream or half and half.
- Chicken broth – You could also use chicken stock or vegetable broth. Or sub for white wine if you’re feeling fancy.
- Seasonings – Grab some salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning!
- Shredded cheese – I used sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. Please get the block and freshly shred, it makes all the difference! Use dairy-free cheese if needed.
- Spinach – I used baby spinach. You can also replace with arugula or kale or omit completely. Fresh basil would also be delish and would add a ton of flavor!
- Switch up the cheeses: Sharp cheddar and mozzarella are classic for mac and cheese but feel free to swap for different kinds of cheese! Gouda, Gruyere, Muenster and white cheddar cheese would also be AMAZING.
- Switch up the vegetables: Mushrooms not your thing? Feel free to leave out or simply replace with another veggie. Red bell pepper, green beans, asparagus, or any leftover veggies you have on hand.
- Switch up the pasta: Elbow macaroni is classic, but you can use any type of short pasta. Shells, penne, bowties, etc. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time as needed according to package directions for al dente pasta!
- Use different types of chicken: Instead of cooking chicken with this recipe, you can throw in rotisserie chicken, or BBQ chicken. Check out this basic shredded chicken recipe for an easy bulk protein!
- Switch up the protein: Ground turkey, ground beef, Italian sausage, there really is no wrong answer.
- Make vegetarian: You can leave out the chicken entirely or replace with tofu.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Sprinkle generously with salt. Add the dry pasta to the large pot of salted water and cook for 8-10 minutes (or according to package directions so that the pasta is al dente). When done, rinse the cooked pasta with cool water and drain, then set aside.
2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Then add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over on stove top on medium heat on a cast iron skillet or skillet or choice. When warm, add the chicken and season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl (with the mushrooms is fine) and set aside.
5. Wipe the bottom of the pan or skillet clean and melt butter over medium heat. As it starts to melt, whisk in the flour. Then whisk in the milk, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Increase to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Continue whisking frequently for 4-5 minutes or until mixture becomes thick.
6. Then remove from heat and stir in both cheeses. Once melted, taste and add any salt or seasonings as needed.
7. Cut sun dried tomatoes into small pieces. To the skillet with the cheese sauce, fold in the sun dried tomatoes, cooked macaroni, spinach leaves, chicken, mushrooms and onions.
8. Mix until everything is well combined. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve! Throw some freshly chopped herbs on top too if you have them!
Tuscan Mac and Cheese Tips!
- Use freshly shredded cheese – This is super important! Pre-shredded cheese just does melt quite like freshly shredded cheese does. I used to think it took a lot more time to shred your cheese but it literally takes less than a minute! Don’t skip it!
- Cook your pasta al dente – Only cook pasta until it is al dente then quickly rinse the pasta with cool water and set aside (this stops the cooking process). Overcooking the pasta can result in mushy pasta that doesn’t hold up well. We don’t want that!
- Cut your chicken into even size bites – this ensures the chicken cooks evenly without having any pieces of overcooked or undercooked.
How is this mac and cheese best served?
Since this dish has chicken, it is very macro-balanced and filling and a great dish to eat on it’s own! If you’re wanting a little something more, you can always serve with a simple salad, broccoli, or some light soup.
Does this mac and cheese reheat well?
It reheats great! Just make sure you cook your pasta until it is al dente and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Overcooking the pasta is typically the main culprit if your mac and cheese starts to gets mushy when reheating. You can reheat leftovers in on the stovetop over medium-low hear or in the microwave. I recommend adding adding a few splashes of water or milk to the mac and cheese to help thin sauce and keep noodles from drying out.
Does this mac and cheese work good for meal prep?
It works awesome for meal prep! Again, just make sure you don’t overcook your pasta.
Can I freeze this mac and cheese?
It’s not going to be quite as amazing as fresh but you can. If doing this, try to leave pasta a smidge undercooked so it doesn’t get overcook or get mushy when reheated.
Store mac and cheese in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Can I make this dish vegetarian?
Sure thing! The chicken cooks separately so it’s easy to leave out of this recipe. You can just omit or replace with a plant-based alternative, like tofu if you prefer.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breast cut into small, equal bite-size pieces
- 12 oz. large elbow macaroni
- 8 oz. sun dried tomatoes (in oil) drained and chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g) divided
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
- 1/2 cup yellow onion (75g) diced
- 1 Tbsp butter (15g)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (15g)
- 1 cup chicken broth (240g)
- 1.75 cups milk (420g) any dairy or nondairy, I used almond here
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp pepper more to taste
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (112g) freshly shredded
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (84g) freshly shredded
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
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Instructions
- Cook pasta: Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Sprinkle generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or according to package instructions so that the pasta is al dente. When done, rinse the pasta with cool water and drain, then set aside.
- Saute vegetables: Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, saute for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Cook chicken: Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add the chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl (with the mushrooms is fine) and set aside.
- Make cheese sauce: Wipe skillet clean and melt the butter over medium heat. As it starts to melt, whisk in the flour. Then whisk in the milk, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Continue whisking frequently for 4-5 minutes or until mixture becomes thick. Then remove from heat and stir in both cheeses. Taste and add any salt or seasonings to taste.
- Making the mac and cheese: Cut sun dried tomatoes into small pieces. To the skillet with the cheese sauce, fold in the sun dried tomatoes, cooked macaroni, spinach, chicken, mushrooms and onions and mix until everything is well combined. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper to serve!
Equipment
- Cheese grater optional
Notes
- Use freshly shredded cheese – This is super important! Pre-shredded cheese just does melt quite like freshly shredded cheese does. I used to think it took a lot more time to shred your cheese but it literally takes less than a minute! Don’t skip it!
- Cook your pasta al dente – Only cook pasta until it is al dente then quickly rinse the pasta with cool water and set aside (this stops the cooking process). Overcooking the pasta can result in mushy pasta that doesn’t hold up well. We don’t want that!
- Cut your chicken into even size bites – this ensures the chicken cooks evenly without having any pieces of overcooked or undercooked.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
