{"id":1656,"date":"2009-09-09T21:50:26","date_gmt":"2009-09-10T03:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/?p=1656"},"modified":"2009-09-13T18:51:05","modified_gmt":"2009-09-14T00:51:05","slug":"easy-mac-and-cheese-with-chicken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/09\/easy-mac-and-cheese-with-chicken\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Mac and Cheese with Chicken"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is something to be said for Kraft Mac and Cheese<\/a>. \u00a0That’s right. \u00a0I said it. \u00a0Come on people. \u00a0You know you love it. \u00a0It’s the cheesiest and it doesn’t stick to your cookware like real <\/em>cheese does. \u00a0I honestly and truly like, and sometimes I even crave<\/strong><\/em> the unnatural orange colored pasta dish\u00a0in its blue box of goodness. \u00a0However, there are times when a girl needs to eat mac and cheese made from scratch. \u00a0This macaroni and cheese recipe<\/a> comes from the Better Homes and Gardens website.<\/p>\n

\"mac14\"<\/p>\n

I loved the crunchy breadcrumbs on top of this dish. \u00a0The sauteed onions and garlic mixed with tomato paste give the sauce a richer flavor that is more than just milk and cheese. \u00a0I used 2% milk and half swiss, half sharp cheddar with a great resulting flavor. \u00a0I cooked the chicken in chunks, but ended up kind of shredding it into smaller pieces before adding it to the cheese. \u00a0The recipe calls for penne or similar pasta, but I used traditional elbow macaroni.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I was pretty hungry when we ate dinner last night, so my hunger could have contributed for my rave review of this pasta. \u00a0However, Ben ate a chimichanga for lunch, so he wasn’t starving…and he had two helpings. \u00a0This leads me to believe that this was a true culinary success. \u00a0You could add broccoli to this for a little punch of vitamins and color.<\/p>\n

\"mac13\"\"mac9\"\"mac7\"<\/p>\n

\"mac6\"\"mac5\"<\/p>\n

\"mac3\"\"mac2\"<\/p>\n

This dish was pretty easy to prep and has a quick baking time. \u00a0Consider these time saving tips to make life even easier.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Use dry bread crumbs instead of fresh.<\/li>\n
  2. Use rotisserie chicken.<\/li>\n
  3. Use pre-shredded cheese.<\/li>\n
  4. Cook the pasta earlier in the day and store it in the fridge.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Mac and Cheese with Chicken<\/em><\/h3>\n

    \"mac1\"
    \n<\/em><\/p>\n

    Ingredients<\/h4>\n
      \n
    • 1\u00a0pound skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves<\/li>\n
    • 1\u00a0to 2 teaspoon dried\u00a0Italian seasoning, crushed<\/li>\n
    • Salt and ground black pepper<\/li>\n
    • 1\u00a0tablespoon olive oil<\/li>\n
    • 10 ounces macaroni<\/li>\n
    • 1\u00a0medium onion, chopped (1\/2 cup)<\/li>\n
    • 2\u00a0cloves\u00a0garlic, minced<\/li>\n
    • 3\u00a0tablespoons butter<\/li>\n
    • 3\u00a0tablespoons all-purpose flour<\/li>\n
    • 2\u00a0tablespoons tomato\u00a0paste<\/li>\n
    • 3\u00a0cups\u00a02 % milk<\/li>\n
    • 2 cups shredded cheese, 1 cup swiss and 1 cup cheddar<\/li>\n
    • Salt and ground black pepper<\/li>\n
    • 2\u00a0cups soft sourdough bread\u00a0crumbs<\/li>\n
    • 2\u00a0ounces finely shredded\u00a0Parmesan or Romano cheese (1\/2 cup)<\/li>\n
    • 3\u00a0tablespoons butter, melted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Directions<\/h4>\n

      1. \u00a0Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet cook chicken, Italian or desired seasoning blend, salt, and pepper in hot oil over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.<\/p>\n

      2.\u00a0 In a large pot or kettle cook pasta according to package directions until just tender. Drain; return pasta to pot.<\/p>\n

      3.\u00a0 Meanwhile, in the same skillet in which chicken was cooked, cook onion and\u00a0garlic in 3 tablespoons hot butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour until well combined. Stir in tomato\u00a0paste. Add\u00a0milk. Cook and stir until\u00a0mixture\u00a0is thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Add the shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is almost melted. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sauce and chicken to cooked pasta in pot; stir to coat. Spoon\u00a0mixture\u00a0into a 2-quart square or rectangular baking dish.<\/p>\n

      4.\u00a0 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl stir together bread crumbs,Parmesan cheese, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle crumb\u00a0mixture\u00a0over pasta\u00a0mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until crumb\u00a0mixture\u00a0is golden and edges are bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.<\/p>\n