Creamy Mac, Chicken, and Cheese
- Number of Servings: 10
Ingredients
2 Tbl. unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish½ lb. penne,2 Tbl. olive oil1 large yellow onion, diced3 garlic cloves, minced2 cups milk2 cups heavy cream3½ cups cooked shredded chicken (from 3½- to 4-lb. roasted chicken)2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 oz.)½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1½ oz.)8 oz. fresh spinach, washed, stems removed, and drained (about 4 cups)2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves 1 to 2 Tbl. hot sauce (Tabasco or Texas Pete)2 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbl. of the olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Melt the butter with the remaining Tbl. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t brown.
4. Stir in the milk and cream, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the chicken, Cheddar, Parmesan, spinach, marjoram, hot sauce, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Stir until the cheeses have melted and the spinach is wilted. Pour into the bowl with the pasta and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper and season with more to taste.
6. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish, scraping all the sauce out of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and bake for about 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the pasta is slightly brown on top. Let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Serving Size: 9x13in baking dish
Number of Servings: 10
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ASTARMOMMY.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbl. of the olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Melt the butter with the remaining Tbl. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t brown.
4. Stir in the milk and cream, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the chicken, Cheddar, Parmesan, spinach, marjoram, hot sauce, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Stir until the cheeses have melted and the spinach is wilted. Pour into the bowl with the pasta and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper and season with more to taste.
6. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish, scraping all the sauce out of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and bake for about 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the pasta is slightly brown on top. Let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Serving Size: 9x13in baking dish
Number of Servings: 10
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ASTARMOMMY.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 463.9
- Total Fat: 26.9 g
- Cholesterol: 122.3 mg
- Sodium: 830.3 mg
- Total Carbs: 20.7 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 34.2 g
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