garlic chicken mac and cheese

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• cooking spray
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder, or to taste, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package macaroni
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 sleeves buttery round crackers (such as ritz®), crushed

Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ready Time: 1 hr 25 mins


• preheat oven to 450 degrees f (230 degrees c).
• prepare a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. cook chicken in skillet until no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes; season with 1 tablespoon garlic powder and transfer to a baking dish.
• bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. cook macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain and mix with chicken in the baking dish.
• melt 1/4 cup butter in a large pot over medium heat. cook flour in melted butter until the flour is cooked and the mixture forms a roux, about 5 minutes. stream milk into the pot while stirring to mix with the roux completely; cook until just about simmering, about 5 minutes more. add cheddar cheese in small amounts to the sauce and stir to melt completely before adding the next portion; cook and stir until thick and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. pour the sauce over the chicken and macaroni; stir to coat.
• melt 1/4 cup butter in the skillet in which you cooked the chicken over medium heat. stir remaining tablespoon garlic powder into the melted butter; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. remove skillet from heat and stir crushed crackers into the butter mixture to coat; spread over the chicken and macaroni mixture in the baking dish.
• bake in preheated oven until the topping is crispy, 35 to 45 minutes.