Honey Garlic Butter Chicken with Mac & Cheese
Juicy honey-garlic butter chicken served over creamy mac and cheese — a high-protein comfort meal.
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Pot for Pasta
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade
- 800 g chicken breast, cubed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 30 g butter for cooking + extra later
- 30 g honey
Mac & Cheese Base
- 12 oz (≈ 340 g) elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 2 cups heavy cream (or milk variant)
- 160 g light cream cheese
- 100 g low fat cheddar, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (for sauce)
- smoked paprika smoked paprika
- nutmeg (½ tsp) nutmeg optional
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: in a bowl, combine cubed chicken with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Let it sit ~10 minutes. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Cook the chicken: heat a skillet over medium, add chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 10–15 minutes. Then lower heat and stir in butter, garlic, and honey to coat the chicken. Set aside. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
- Cook pasta: boil macaroni in salted water until al dente, drain and set aside. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- Make cheese sauce: in the same skillet (or clean one), melt butter, sauté garlic, then add cream, cream cheese, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth and creamy. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted and sauce is creamy. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
- Combine: add cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce and stir. Then top with the honey garlic butter chicken, or mix together so chicken is integrated. Let sit a few minutes for flavors to meld. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
- Serve immediately, optionally garnish with parsley. Leftovers can be stored and reheated (add splash of cream or milk to refresh sauce). :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Notes
Macros per serving (4 servings) ~ 597 calories, 59 g protein, 52 g carbs, 16 g fat :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}. You can lighten the dish by substituting part of the cream with milk, or using leaner chicken cuts. When reheating, add a splash of milk or cream to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}