Creamy Mac, Chicken, and Cheese
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 1+ hour |
| Cook time | ~45 min + 10 min resting time |
| Source | Fresh Every Day (pg 229), via Rochelle Gloege |
| Yield / serves | 8-10 servings |
| Rating | Yummy! |
Ingredients
- 2 T unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
- 1/2 lb short, bite-size pasta such as penne, ziti, shells, bow ties, or orecchiette
- 2 t sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 c milk
- 2 c heavy cream
- 3 1/2 c cooked shredded chicken (from 3 1/2 to 4 lb roasted or rotisserie chicken)
- 2 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 oz)
- 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 oz)
- 8 oz fresh spinach, washed, stems removed, and drained (about 4 c)
- 2 T chopped fresh marjoram leaves or 2 t dried
- 1 T hot sauce (Tabasco or Texas Pete), or more to taste
- 1 t freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
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 T of the olive oil and toss to coat.
Melt the butter with the remaining tablespoon 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.
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.
Remove the sauce from the heat and add the chicken, Cheddar, Parmesan, spinach, marjoram, hot sauce, 1 t salt, and 1 t 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.
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.
Notes
This can be prepared in advance and frozen until baked. Let the baking dish defrost before putting it in the oven to bake.
