Description
Creamy one-pot chicken parmesan mac & cheese brings Italian-American comfort to your dinner table. Melted cheese, crispy chicken, and herbed breadcrumbs create a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 ½ cups elbow macaroni (or small pasta)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps butter (melted)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning (for topping)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated, for topping)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning (for topping)
Instructions
- Protein Preparation: Sear seasoned chicken pieces in a spacious skillet until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove chicken, preserving the flavorful pan drippings.
- Pasta Infusion: Pour broth and milk into the same skillet, embedding uncooked pasta. Simmer gently, allowing pasta to absorb liquid and develop a creamy consistency while becoming perfectly tender.
- Flavor Integration: Return cooked chicken to the skillet, drizzle marinara sauce across the surface. Generously sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan, stirring until ingredients meld into a rich, harmonious mixture.
- Crispy Topping Creation: Combine panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, Parmesan, and Italian herbs to form a textural garnish with robust herbal undertones.
- Final Transformation: Position skillet under broiler, watching intently as the breadcrumb layer caramelizes into a golden, crisp crust—approximately 2-3 minutes of intense heat exposure. The surface should transform into a crackling, amber-hued topping that adds textural contrast.
- Serving Preparation: Allow dish to rest briefly, enabling flavors to marry and temperature to equilibrate. Garnish with fresh herbs for a vibrant, aromatic finish to this comfort-driven culinary creation.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Browning: Ensure chicken pieces are patted dry before seasoning to achieve perfect golden-brown sear, which locks in juices and develops deep flavor complexity.
- Prevent Pasta Sticking: Stir pasta frequently during cooking to avoid clumping and ensure even liquid absorption, creating consistently creamy mac and cheese texture.
- Control Broiler Timing: Watch breadcrumb topping carefully during final 2-3 minutes to prevent burning; golden-brown is the goal, not charred crumbs that taste bitter.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap regular pasta for gluten-free alternatives, use lactose-free cheese options, or substitute chicken with plant-based protein to accommodate different dietary restrictions without compromising overall dish integrity.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 532
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg