Macaroni & Cheese Recipes

Cheesy Chicken Macaroni

Tillamook® Pepper Jack, Tillamook® Medium Cheddar

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Tillamook® Unsalted Butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons chicken stock
1/3 cup half & half
6 ounces Tillamook® Medium Cheddar Cheese, cut into 1" cubes
6 ounces Tillamook® Pepper Jack Cheese, cut 1/2 into 1" cubes (shred the reserved 1/2 for the topping)
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” cubes
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
3 ounces Tillamook® Light Sour Cream
1 12 ounce box of jumbo shells
1 1/2 cups rice crispy cereal

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions.

In a hot skillet add olive oil and brown the cubed chicken. When chicken is browned add taco seasoning and 3 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture simmer about 5 minutes then add Tillamook® Sour Cream. Turn heat off and allow to rest while making the cheese sauce.

Melt unsalted butter in a 1-1/2 quart saucepan over medium heat, add flour and cook, whisking, until butter-flour mixture is light gold and bubbling. Add chicken stock and whisk constantly until sauce is smooth and almost thickened. Pour in half and half and finish thickening (do not allow to boil). Stir in Dijon mustard and black pepper to taste. Add both cubed cheeses. Stir until cheese melts completely.

In a 9” X 13" baking dish pour a small amount of chicken stock (about 3 tablespoons) into the dish to keep the noodles from sticking. Drain the noodles and fill each shell with a piece of chicken mixture. Pour cheese sauce over all of the stuffed shells. For the topping combine in a small plastic bag rice crispys, which have been slightly crushed and the reserved shredded pepper jack cheese. Coat the cheese with the cereal and sprinkle over the top of the cheese sauce and stuffed shells.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and starting to brown.