Tuscan Chicken Mac And Cheese
A creamy, cheese-packed macaroni with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and tender Tuscan-style chicken—exceptional comfort food with a gourmet twist.
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 500 g boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp olive oil
Sauce & Macaroni:
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 120 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and sliced
- 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
- 30 g plain flour
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 400 ml whole milk plus extra if needed
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- ½ tsp pepper
- 250 g dried elbow macaroni
- 100 g baby spinach leaves
Cheese Blend:
- 80 g Parmesan freshly grated
- 120 g cheddar freshly grated
- 100 g mozzarella freshly grated
Garnish:
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, and 2 tsp olive oil. Sear in 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes until golden and cooked through (165°F). Set aside, covered.
- Lower heat to medium. Melt butter in the same pan, add onion and garlic, and cook until soft—about 3 minutes.
- Pour in wine, scrape the pan, and simmer 2–3 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and 2 Tbsp of their oil. Cook 1–2 minutes.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in stock and milk until smooth. Add herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently.
- Add pasta directly to sauce. Simmer on medium-low, stirring now and then, until tender and thickened—about 9–12 minutes.
- Stir in spinach until wilted—1–2 minutes.
- Take off heat. Stir in Parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella. Add a splash of milk if needed to loosen.
- Slice or shred chicken and fold into pasta. Stir in parsley and serve warm.