High Protein Honey BBQ Chicken Mac n Cheese
Dive into a deliciously indulgent experience with our High Protein Honey BBQ Chicken Mac n Cheese! This mouthwatering dish features tender, flavor-packed chicken coated in a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, all nestled in creamy, cheesy pasta. With a touch of honey for sweetness and a hint of spice, it's the ultimate comfort food that satisfies both your cravings and your protein goals!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic or 4-5 cloves (15 ml)
- 1 Tsp each Garlic & Onion Powder (5 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 800g Raw Chicken Breast cut into cubes (1.76 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 50g Grated Light Cheddar Cheese (1.76 oz)
- 100g Light Cream Cheese (Philadelphia) (3.53 oz)Philadelphia
- 300ml Fat Free or Light Evaporated Milk (Carnations) (10.1 fl oz)
- 15 Light Butter or Cooking Spray (for cooking) (1.05 tbsp)cooking spray
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 25g Honey (For all the chicken) (0.88 oz)
- 220g Uncooked / 540g Cooked Macaroni (7.77 oz)
- 1-2 Tsp Olive Oil (5-10 ml)
- 90g Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (G Hughes or reduced sugar BBQ sauce) (0.45 cup)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper (5 ml)
- 1.5 Tsp Onion Powder (7.5 ml)
- 1.5 Tsp Paprika (7.5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Salt (5 ml)
- Salt to taste (Optional for the sauce)optional
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 60g Hot Sauce (I used buffalo sauce but you can use any that you like) (2.12 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the chicken on medium high heat for 3-4 mins each side until it gets a nice golden brown crust and color.
- 2
Turn off the heat before adding the honey and BBQ sauce, mix in well until each piece is coated.
- 3
Make the mac sauce on low medium heat.
- 4
Let the cream cheese get to room temperature before adding to the pan to help make the sauce very smooth.
- 5
Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and stir until well combined.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Let cream cheese reach 68-72°F (room temperature) before incorporating because cold cream cheese creates lumps and requires 3x more whisking energy to achieve smooth emulsion.ingredient68-72°F
- ✓Remove pan from heat before adding honey and BBQ sauce because temperatures above 320°F will caramelize honey sugars too rapidly, creating bitter compounds instead of glaze.timing320°F threshold
- ✓Cook chicken to internal 165°F but pull at 160°F since carryover cooking will raise temperature 5-7°F during rest, preventing overcooking while maintaining food safety.technique160°F pull temp
- ✓Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining because the starchy water (6-8% starch content) helps bind cheese sauce to pasta and prevents separation.technique6-8% starch content
- ✓Keep mac sauce at 160-180°F maximum because higher temperatures cause proteins in cheese to coagulate and separate, creating grainy texture instead of smooth sauce.timing160-180°F max
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
High Protein Honey BBQ Chicken Mac n Cheese
Dive into a deliciously indulgent experience with our High Protein Honey BBQ Chicken Mac n Cheese! This mouthwatering dish features tender, flavor-packed chicken coated in a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, all nestled in creamy, cheesy pasta. With a touch of honey for sweetness and a hint of spice, it's the ultimate comfort food that satisfies both your cravings and your protein goals!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic or 4-5 cloves (15 ml)
- 1 Tsp each Garlic & Onion Powder (5 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 800g Raw Chicken Breast cut into cubes (1.76 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 50g Grated Light Cheddar Cheese (1.76 oz)
- 100g Light Cream Cheese (Philadelphia) (3.53 oz)Philadelphia
- 300ml Fat Free or Light Evaporated Milk (Carnations) (10.1 fl oz)
- 15 Light Butter or Cooking Spray (for cooking) (1.05 tbsp)cooking spray
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 25g Honey (For all the chicken) (0.88 oz)
- 220g Uncooked / 540g Cooked Macaroni (7.77 oz)
- 1-2 Tsp Olive Oil (5-10 ml)
- 90g Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (G Hughes or reduced sugar BBQ sauce) (0.45 cup)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper (5 ml)
- 1.5 Tsp Onion Powder (7.5 ml)
- 1.5 Tsp Paprika (7.5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Salt (5 ml)
- Salt to taste (Optional for the sauce)optional
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 60g Hot Sauce (I used buffalo sauce but you can use any that you like) (2.12 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the chicken on medium high heat for 3-4 mins each side until it gets a nice golden brown crust and color.
- 2
Turn off the heat before adding the honey and BBQ sauce, mix in well until each piece is coated.
- 3
Make the mac sauce on low medium heat.
- 4
Let the cream cheese get to room temperature before adding to the pan to help make the sauce very smooth.
- 5
Add the cooked macaroni to the sauce and stir until well combined.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Let cream cheese reach 68-72°F (room temperature) before incorporating because cold cream cheese creates lumps and requires 3x more whisking energy to achieve smooth emulsion.ingredient68-72°F
- ✓Remove pan from heat before adding honey and BBQ sauce because temperatures above 320°F will caramelize honey sugars too rapidly, creating bitter compounds instead of glaze.timing320°F threshold
- ✓Cook chicken to internal 165°F but pull at 160°F since carryover cooking will raise temperature 5-7°F during rest, preventing overcooking while maintaining food safety.technique160°F pull temp
- ✓Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining because the starchy water (6-8% starch content) helps bind cheese sauce to pasta and prevents separation.technique6-8% starch content
- ✓Keep mac sauce at 160-180°F maximum because higher temperatures cause proteins in cheese to coagulate and separate, creating grainy texture instead of smooth sauce.timing160-180°F max