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4.80 from 87 votes

Garlic Parmesan Mac and Cheese with Chicken

Cheesy macaroni with pan fried garlic parmesan chicken topped with crispy Italian breadcrumbs.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Healthy Pasta Recipes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: garlic parmesan mac and cheese with chicken
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 298kcal
Author: Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

  • 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 Tbsp 15g Minced Garlic
  • 2 Tbsp 15g Reduced Fat Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper reduce if you're spice sensitive

Mac and Cheese

  • 2 packages 8 oz each Barilla Ready Pasta Elbows
  • 3/4 C 170g Fat Free Greek Yogurt, plain
  • 1/4 C 56g Light Butter, I used Land O' Lakes
  • 1 C 112g Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • 2 Tbsp 30g Minced Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Crispy Topping

  • 1/4 C 56g Light Butter*
  • 1/2 C 56g Italian Breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
  • Toss the chicken pieces in the garlic, grated parmesan, black pepper, and red pepper.
    garlic parmesan mac and cheese with chicken step 2
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with nonstick cooking spray. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken to the pan. Leave untouched for 5 minutes before flipping. 
    mac and cheese with chicken step 4
  • Cook for an additional 2 minutes before reducing the heat to low and covering for 6 minutes.
    garlic parmesan chicken in the frying pan
  • While the chicken cooks, microwave the pasta according to the directions on the package. Set aside.
  • Mix the remaining mac and cheese ingredients in a bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals for 2-3 minutes, stirring at each interval. (The cheese sauce should be smooth but it doesn't have to be 100% homogenous.)
  • Once the chicken is finished cooking, add the pasta and cheese sauce to the pan. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. (If the cheese is a little stringy, you can add a few tablespoons of milk, working everything together over low heat.)
  • Turn off the heat and set the skillet aside or add everything to a baking dish if your skillet is not oven-safe.
    mac and cheese with chicken step 5
  • Microwave the remaining butter for the crispy topping for 5-10 seconds or until it's mostly melted. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until it starts to look like a wet sand. Add to the top of the mac and cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and no liquid remains in the bottom of the mac and cheese. 

Notes

*You can also use 2 Tbsp (32g) of olive oil.
  • Each serving has 7 Smart Points.
  • Total macros: 2,380 calories, 168 grams of protein, 241 grams of carbs, 94 grams of fat

Nutrition

Serving: 175g | Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 12g