Creamy Mac N Cheese With Chicken And Baby Kale

Frozen butternut squash cubes add body and nutrients to this simple one-pot macaroni and cheese. We’ve added chicken breast and baby kale to make this a complete meal. Substitute spinach or chopped chard if you like. By using whole-wheat macaroni, you can boost the fiber by 3–4 grams per serving.

under 30 mins
dinner lunch
Updated on 6 January 2024

Ingredients for servings

    Creamy Mac n Cheese With Chicken and Baby Kale

  • 2 tsp olive oil

  • boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size strips

  • 0.5 tsp salt

  • 0.5 tsp pepper

  • 1 small onion finely chopped

  • 2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 cup 2% milk

  • 1 package frozen butternut squash

  • 2 tsp dry mustard

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2.25 cup whole-wheat elbow macaroni

  • 3 cup baby kale

  • 1.25 cup sharp cheddar cheese

  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet set over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken. Season with the salt and pepper and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Add the onions, stir and continue to cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover.

  • Add the broth, milk, squash, mustard and bay leaf to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mash the squash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 6 minutes, stirring once. Fold in the chicken-onion mixture and kale with a rubber spatula, cover and cook until the kale has wilted, 2 minutes.

  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir the cheese and nutritional yeast into the pasta. Serve immediately

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