Tuscan Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Do you serve mac and cheese as a main dish or side dish? Whenever I am meal planning I always struggle with serving it on its own and a veggie or along side a protein and veggie. With this mac and cheese, the decision was already made for me, mac and cheese with a protein.

 

The chicken and mac and cheese are both delicious and could be served completely separate, but together, they make for one delicious and filling meal. Oh and the best part, it is all made in one skillet. No bringing water to a boil to cook the noodles, no separate skillets for the mac and cheese and chicken. And to make this dish even better it was ready in about 30 minutes. This is my kind of meal, delicious, flavorful and filling, less dishes to wash and ready in about 30 minutes, it does not get any better than this.

Tuscan Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breast
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 9 ounce jar sun dried tomatoes in oil
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups half and half
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 10 ounces elbow noodles
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Pound the chicken into an even 1 inch thickness. Using 2 teaspoons of canola oil, coat both sides of the chicken and then season both sides with black pepper, paprika and parsley. 
2. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add in the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook on the other side until golden brown and completely cooked, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
3. To the same skillet, add in the butter and let melt. Add in the onions and cook until they are transparent, about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the wine, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to reduce down.
5. Reserve 2 tablespoons of oil from the sun dried tomatoes and drain the remaining oil. Diced the sun dried tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved oil to the skillet, cook for 2 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and then 2 1/2 cups half and half and Italian seasoning. Season with black pepper. r
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the pasta. Allow the pasta to simmer until it is cooked and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
8. Add in the spinach and stir until well mixed and wilted.
9. Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. If the sauce is too thick, add in the remaining 1/2 cup of half and half, a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce will continue to thicken a bit as it cools.
10. Slice the chicken and place on top of the mac and cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

To reduce some of the calories in this dish, you can use whole milk instead of half and half. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 776
Total Fat		37.6g
Saturated Fat		18.2g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		1.6g
Monounsaturated Fat		6.2g
Cholesterol		163.5mg
Sodium		753.1mg
Total Carbohydrates		59g
Dietary Fiber		6g
Sugars		6.8g
Protein		4.7g
Calcium		70.1%
Iron		14.8%
Potassium		1288.2mg
Vitamin A		84.6%
Vitamin C		93.1%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Cafe Delites.