Description
High Protein Honey Garlic Butter Chicken With Mac Cheese combines comfort food with essential nutrients for an active lifestyle.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons butter (for mac & cheese)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley or chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts thin or pound to an even ½-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter to the same skillet. Stir in minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in honey, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, turning gently to coat each piece with the sauce. Warm through for 1 minute.
- Cook 8 oz elbow macaroni in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- In a separate large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour for 1-2 minutes to form a smooth, pale roux.
- Gradually whisk in 2 cups milk until the mixture is smooth and thick (about 5-7 minutes). Reduce heat to low. Add 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until completely melted and the sauce is smooth and velvety. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the drained macaroni directly into the pot with the cheese sauce. Stir gently but thoroughly until every piece of pasta is beautifully coated.
- Ladle generous portions of mac and cheese onto plates, then top with pieces of the honey garlic chicken. Spoon extra sauce over the chicken. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 100mg