This creamy Chicken Mac and Cheese is easy to make and has the BEST cheese sauce with juicy bites of seared chicken and any kind of pasta!

Be sure to try my Tuscan Mac and Cheese and Chicken Spinach Pasta recipes next!

Chicken Mac and Cheese in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

Chicken Mac and Cheese

You just can’t beat a cozy batch of creamy Chicken Mac and Cheese! The way that flavorful cheese sauce fills up those little shell pockets, with juicy bites of seared chicken throughout, it’s just the best. 

While this is a big hit with kids and picky eaters, adults will definitely get on board too.

It’s fun to get creative with the kinds of cheeses that you use, and even the shape of pasta that you select. Be sure to check out my pro tips below to make sure that this mac and cheese is the creamiest, most flavorful recipe you’ve ever tried! 

How to Make It

Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Season and sear the chicken. Set aside and let rest, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Deglaze the skillet with white wine and let it reduce by half.

A plate of cooked bites of chicken next to a skillet being deglazed with white wine.

Melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer while you cook the pasta to al dente. Stir the cheese into the sauce over low heat.

Adding a cheese sauce mixture to a roux and combining it to make a cheese sauce in a skillet.

Add the cooked pasta and seared chicken and stir to combine. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce upon standing. Serve! 

Adding small shell pasta and chicken to a cheese sauce for Chicken Mac and Cheese.

Pro Tips

  • Pasta: I use small shells for this, but you can also use medium shells, macaroni, cavatappi, and fusilli.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this, chicken broth can be used instead.
  • Cheese Choices: Use any combination of soft cheeses that you enjoy the flavor of. Best options include any combination of yellow/orange/white cheddar, gouda, gruyere, and Parmesan. Mozzarella may be used but is a bit more mild. Whatever cheese you choose will dictate the flavor of the cheese sauce.
  • I love using Cracker Barrel Sharp or Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar, Castello Gouda, and Belgioioso Parmesan.
  • Shred the cheese from a block. Packaged shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting well into soups/sauces. Freshly shredded cheese also tastes best. 
  • Cheese Sauce: This makes plenty of cheese sauce to coat the pasta and chicken, note that the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it stands, it looks like a lot at first. You can also use a little more than 1/2 lb. of pasta and add it until your desired pasta/sauce ratio is obtained. 
  • The Hot Sauce and Mustard Powder are flavor enhancers that you can’t taste outright in this dish.
  • Lemon Juice: I love adding a tablespoon or so of fresh lemon juice to this at the end, it makes the other flavors pop! 

Chicken Mac and Cheese on a white plate with a napkin on the side.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • These leftovers reheat pretty well. I use the ‘melt’ setting on my microwave or you can reheat over 50% power. A makeshift double boiler reheats creamy pastas really well too!

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 1 quart measuring cup with a spout– This is what I use to combine the sauce ingredients at the beginning. The spout makes it easy to add it to the roux in small splashes. 
  • 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe.
  • Meat Tenderizer– I use this almost every time I cook.
  • Kitchen Tongs– This is how I turn the chicken while it sears.
  • Spice Rack–This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
  • Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block, it melts and tastes much better. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose which prevents it from melting as well.
  • Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
  • Pasta Strainer– This is the one I have.
  • Silicone Spatulas– I have these, they’re so gentle on your cookware and are the perfect tool for making the roux and stirring the sauce throughout this recipe.
  • Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth/bouillon in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts.

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Side view of Chicken Mac and Cheese on a white plate.

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Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Chicken Mac and Cheese in a skillet with a wooden spoon scooping it up.

Chicken Mac and Cheese

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
5 from 2 ratings
Servings: 6 people
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This extra creamy Chicken Mac and Cheese is easy to make in one skillet and has the BEST cheese sauce with juicy bites of seared chicken and savory pasta shells.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Sauce

  • 1 ½ cups half and half
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ½ chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon EACH: paprika, pepper

Chicken, Pasta, Cheese, etc.

  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Salt/pepper, to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 ¾ cups shredded cheddar cheese, see notes
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ lb. small or medium shells, see notes

Instructions

  • Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
  • Begin boiling a pot of salted water for the pasta while you proceed with the following steps.
  • Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½ inch thick.
  • Pat the chicken dry and season each side with salt and pepper.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Turn the heat off. Add the wine and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce. Reduce the wine by half, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the raw flour smell is gone.
  • Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Be sure to do this slowly to maintain the thickness of the sauce.
  • Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, while you cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked. Stir the sauce occasionally as the pasta cooks.
  • Reduce the heat of the sauce to low. Gradually sprinkle in the cheese, stirring continuously, until combined.
  • Add the drained pasta and the cooked chicken and stir to combine. There will be a lot of cheese sauce, but the pasta will continue to absorb it upon standing. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Pasta: I use small shells for this, but you can also use medium shells, macaroni, cavatappi, and fusilli.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this, chicken broth can be used instead.
  • Cheese Choices: Use any combination of soft cheeses that you enjoy the flavor of. Best options include any combination of yellow/orange/white cheddar, gouda, gruyere, and Parmesan. Mozzarella may be used but is a bit more mild. Whatever cheese you choose will dictate the flavor of the cheese sauce.
  • I love using Cracker Barrel Sharp or Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar, Castello Gouda, and Belgioioso Parmesan.
  • Shred the cheese from a block. Packaged shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting well into soups/sauces. Freshly shredded cheese also tastes best. 
  • Cheese Sauce: This makes plenty of cheese sauce to coat the pasta and chicken, note that the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it stands, it looks like a lot at first. You can also use a little more than 1/2 lb. of pasta and add it until your desired pasta/sauce ratio is obtained. 
  • The Hot Sauce and Mustard Powder are flavor enhancers that you can't taste outright in this dish.
  • Lemon Juice: I love adding a tablespoon or so of fresh lemon juice to this at the end, it makes the other flavors pop! 
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • These leftovers reheat pretty well. I use the 'melt' setting on my microwave or you can reheat over 50% power. A makeshift double boiler reheats creamy pastas really well too!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 563kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 632mg, Potassium: 508mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 821IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 354mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie