Description
Spicy Honey Chicken Mac n Cheese delivers pure comfort right to your dinner table with crispy chicken and a sweet-hot kick that’ll make your taste buds dance. Creamy pasta meets zesty honey-glazed chicken in a mouthwatering mashup that turns ordinary mac into an extraordinary meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Pasta and Base:
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Seasonings and Finishing:
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- ¼ cup hot honey
Instructions
- Cook 8 oz elbow macaroni in boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set pasta aside.
- Melt ¼ cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until completely liquid and foamy.
- Whisk ¼ cup flour, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp paprika into melted butter. Stir consistently for 2 minutes to create a smooth roux.
- Slowly pour 2 cups milk into the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer sauce at medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes until it thickens.
- Remove sauce from heat and fold in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese until completely melted and sauce becomes smooth.
- Add 1 cup shredded cooked chicken and prepared macaroni to cheese sauce. Stir gently to coat every noodle evenly.
- Transfer mac and cheese mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish, spreading contents uniformly.
- Drizzle ¼ cup hot honey across the top of the casserole in a zigzag pattern.
- Bake uncovered at 350F for 20 minutes until edges turn golden and cheese bubbles around the sides.
Notes
- Check your pasta’s doneness early to prevent overcooking, which can make the mac n cheese mushy.
- Use freshly grated cheddar cheese for smoother melting and better flavor compared to pre-shredded varieties.
- For gluten-free adaptation, swap regular flour with cornstarch or a gluten-free flour blend and use gluten-free pasta.
- Customize heat levels by selecting mild or extra-spicy hot honey based on your personal spice tolerance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 570 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg