BBQ Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

ORIGINAL POST:http://greedygirlcooks.blogspot.com/2015/09/bbq-chicken-macaroni-and-cheese.html

Ingredients

For the bbq chicken

2 CB chicken breast (boneless skinless)

3 pinch salt

1 ¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

3 tablespoon oil

½ cup onion chopped

¼ cup sweet pepper

2 garlic clove minced

1 ¼ cup hickory BBQ sauce

For the cheese sauce

3 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon flour

2 cup heavy cream or milk

8 oz pepper jack cheese

5 oz sharp cheddar cheese

1 onion (blended)

1 pinch of salt

Other

1 box elbow macaroni

For the topping

4 tablespoon butter

2 garlic cloves shredded

1 cup panko bread crumbles

Instructions

    • First place a pot of salted water to boil
    • Preheat your oven to 475 degrees
    • Cut (washed and dried) chicken breast into strips and season with the salt black pepper, smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon of the oil
    • On a hot grill cook the strips on both sides until fully cooked. Approximately 3 minutes per side.
    • Remove from the heat and set aside. Chop into bite sized pieces
    • In a sauté pan with 2 teaspoon of oil sauté the onions, peppers and garlic for 1 minute
    • Add the grilled chicken to the mix and stir for another minute before adding the bbq sauce
    • Stir to incorporate and warm the sauce, then remove it from the heat.
    • By this the water should be boiling, add the pasta to the hot water

For the cheese sauce and to finish the dish

    • In a clean pot melt the butter add the flour and cook for a few seconds
    • Add the heavy cream to the flour mixture and whisk until the flour and butter has dissolved
    • Add all the cheese and allow it to melt and the sauce to become very thick
    • Shred or puree the small onion and add it to the cheese sauce along with a pinch of salt
    • Once the sauce is thick stir in the BBQ chicken sauce
    • Strain the elbows completely and stir the cheesy chicken BBQ sauce with the elbows
    • Pour into a large baking pan

Optional garlic panko breadcrumb topping

    • To make the topping, Melt the butter, stir in the shredded garlic and panko bread crumbs
    • Sprinkle evenly on top of the elbows and cheese
    • Bake until golden brown on top

Greedy Tips

    • If you don’t have a grill you can sauté the chicken in a hot pan with a little oil
    • if you don't do the panko topping you can cover it with shredded cheese
    • And you may use any BBQ sauce you choose