Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 395kcal

Author: Lauren

This Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese is creamy, cheesy and bursting with Mediterranean flavors in each bite! It's lightened up and packed with protein and works great for an easy dinner or meal prep!

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Equipment

Cheese grater optional

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

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!

Notes

To make gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free flour

To make dairy-free: use dairy-free butter, dairy-free milk (unsweetened plain almond, cashew, soy, etc) and dairy-free cheese

Helpful 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.

Nutrition