Negotiations over who has rights to which leftovers typically proceed pretty cordially in our residence—except these leftovers occur to be this Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese, wherein case I name dibs.

A creamy, colourful skillet of complete wheat pasta noodles, vibrant sun-dried tomatoes, juicy items of herby hen breast, and contemporary spinach, all wrapped in a velvety cheese sauce, this Italian spin on the last word consolation basic may have members of your loved ones jostling for further servings.

Now that Ben and I are each working from residence full time, determining lunches took a number of weeks of adjustment (critically, we’re out of meals, AGAIN? How a lot do you eat?), however we hit a good rhythm.

Then, this mac and cheese with hen occurred.

The way it often goes: I make a giant, wholesome pasta recipe like this Tuscan hen mac and cheese one or two nights every week. We eat a portion for dinner, then Ben eats many of the leftovers for lunch. I’m often pleased with one thing like this Italian Farro Salad for my lunch, and nobody goes hangry.

This Tuscan hen mac? DIFFERENT STORY.

I can’t say it’s too good to share—not as a result of it isn’t however as a result of I’m not cold-hearted sufficient to disclaim members of my family entry to a bubbly, tacky pot of macaroni— however it’s definitely too good to not be sure to benefit from the full quantity of your allotted portion.

And perhaps slightly little bit of the opposite particular person’s portion in the event you can beat them to the fridge the following day.

Like my holy grail of consolation Grownup Mac and Cheese, this fast recipe is cooked on the stovetop, my most popular simple technique for making mac and cheese. Watching the velvety sauce come collectively as you stir is a second you’ll savor.

I lightened up the recipe with a number of on a regular basis swaps like complete wheat pasta noodles rather than white and milk rather than heavy cream. It tastes so indulgent, I pinky promise nobody (together with your self!) will suspect.

Learn how to Make Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese

Have a skillet, a pasta pot, and an urge for food? Excellent! You’re able to make this simple mac and cheese.

The substances in Tuscan hen mac and cheese are a spin on Tuscan hen, an Italian-American restaurant dish consisting of hen simmered in a wealthy sauce product of heavy cream, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach.

This mac and cheese channels that spirit right into a stovetop pasta. I truthfully favor it to the unique! The place there’s tacky sauce, there ought to be noodles.

The Elements

• Pasta. Each time doable, I attempt to use complete wheat pasta, which is increased in fiber and vitamins than white pasta and can hold you fuller for longer. For this recipe, I like a shorter tube-shaped pasta, similar to fusilli, penne, rigatoni, shells, or elbows.
• Solar-Dried Tomatoes. Solar-dried tomatoes add intense, concentrated taste. Each time I eat them, I can’t assist however consider the sunny Italian countryside! For this recipe, you’ll need sun-dried tomatoes in oil, that are sometimes offered in a jar or can. This recipe makes use of them two methods to take most benefit of their prowess: the tomatoes themselves, which add pops style and shade, and the oil wherein they’re packed, which additionally presents taste and is the start line of the creamy cheese sauce. Yum and yum.
• Chicken. A go-to supply of lean protein. Boneless skinless hen breasts and thighs each will work properly on this recipe. For a vegetarian possibility, see suggestion in Recipe Variations beneath.
• Butter. For richness and added taste that’s certain to please everybody at your desk.
• Milk. Entire milk makes the sauce splendidly creamy and decadent. If you happen to’re on the lookout for rather less decadence, you’ll be able to do that with 2% milk as a substitute. For final decadence, swap out a portion of the milk for half and half.
• Italian Seasoning. A bang-for-your-buck herby powerhouse. Italian seasoning is a superb approach to incorporate layers of taste with only one ingredient.
• Cheese. A star of our mac and cheese present. A mixture of mozzarella and sharp cheddar create probably the most spectacular taste. If doable, I HIGHLY advocate grating the cheese your self proper from the block. Truly, I insist. It should lead to a a lot smoother, creamier sauce than the pre-shredded type, which is often coated in a starch that retains it from clumping however that makes it more durable to soften easily.
• Spinach. I really like including slightly inexperienced to my Tuscan mac and cheese, and spinach works completely. Plus, it’s full of Vitamin-C and iron. Take into consideration that as you’re scooping a second serving.
• Recent Herbs. An elective however pleasant addition. Basil or parsley are excellent right here.

The Instructions

1. Prepare dinner the pasta and reserve a part of the pasta water earlier than draining it.
2. Reserve a number of the oil from the tomatoes, then pat the tomatoes dry and chop them.
3. Brown the hen in a skillet till cooked via, then add the reserved sun-dried tomato oil and butter. Add the tomatoes and flour, then the milk. Simmer to create the sauce.
4. Add the grated cheese, then take away the skillet from the range, and add the pasta, hen, and spinach. Stir till the whole lot is properly integrated and the sauce is creamy. Serve with contemporary herbs and ENJOY!

What to Serve with Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese 

• Salad. A lightweight and simple salad like this Anytime Arugula Salad would pair properly with the Tuscan flavors on this dish.
• Greens. Deliver extra veggies to your desk by serving this mac and cheese with a facet of Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Zucchini.
• Bread. At all times a good selection, particularly with Italian-inspired recipes like this one.

Make-Forward and Storage Suggestions

• To Make Forward. Lower your hen into bite-sized items as much as 1 day upfront, and retailer them within the fridge. You can too grate your cheeses as much as 1 day upfront, storing them in a separate container within the fridge.
• To Retailer. Place leftover mac and cheese in an hermetic storage container within the fridge for as much as Four days.
• To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a big skillet on the range over medium-low warmth, including splashes of milk (water works in a pinch) as wanted to skinny the sauce. You can too reheat this dish within the microwave.
• To Freeze. Retailer mac and cheese in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container within the freezer for as much as three months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.

Recipe Variations

• To Make Vegetarian. Omit the hen and stir in 1 (15-ounce) can of rinsed, drained white beans, similar to cannellini.
• To Make Gluten Free. Use gluten free pasta and a 1:1 all-purpose flour substitute like this one.
• Change Up the Chicken. As an alternative of constructing this mac and cheese with hen breast, you need to use hen thighs. Or take a be aware from this Solar-Dried Tomato Pasta with Sausage and use strive a gentle Italian sausage (I like hen or turkey sausage).

Extra Italian-Impressed Recipes To Love

Really useful Instruments to Make this Recipe

• Giant Skillet. Ideally suited for getting ready this mac and cheese, and it appears stunning for serving it too.
• Cheese Grater. A field grater or a microplane grater will work properly right here (the microplane is my go-to).
• Pasta Insert. If you happen to prepare dinner numerous pasta, having a pot with the insert for straightforward draining and preserving of your pasta water is a sport changer.

Regardless of what our family quibbling may counsel, this tasty Tuscan hen mac and cheese does yield a beneficiant portion. The truth that we went via it as shortly as we did is a testomony to its high quality, not its amount.

Leftovers (ha!) will final properly into the week, although in case your family behaves something like ours, I counsel grabbing your extra servings quickly, earlier than they disappear.