Description
A one-pan comfort meal blending rich, creamy mac & cheese with sweet-savory honey garlic butter chicken, ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 chicken breasts (cubed)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp avocado oil (or oil of choice)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 12 oz elbow macaroni (cooked al dente)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken by tossing cubed chicken with olive oil, minced garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with avocado oil. Add marinated chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and browned. Reduce heat and stir in butter, honey, and freshly chopped parsley.
- In the same skillet, melt butter, add minced garlic, and sauté until golden.
- Pour in heavy cream, and bring to a gentle bubble. Stir in seasonings.
- Lower heat and add mozzarella and cheddar cheese, stirring until smooth.
- Meanwhile, boil elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly.
- Add drained pasta to cheese sauce and simmer to meld flavors. Fold in the honey garlic butter chicken.
- Serve warm or divide into airtight containers for meal prep.
Notes
For a dairy-free version, use cashew cream and dairy-free cheddar. Adjust spices for kids’ preferences.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg