Queso Chicken Mac n’ Cheese
Dive into a cheesy delight with our Queso Chicken Mac n' Cheese, a scrumptious meal prep option that’s as easy as tossing everything into your slow cooker! Featuring tender chicken, creamy queso, and perfectly cooked pasta, this dish promises to satisfy your cravings while packing in the protein. Get ready for a comforting bowl of goodness that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 2 orange bell peppers
- 2 red bell peppers
- Optional: chopped cilantrooptional
- 2 tablespoons garlic purée (30 ml)
- 1 onion
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 32oz chicken breast (907 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- 150g extra sharp cheddar cheese* (5.29 oz)use extra sharp full fat cheese for best flavor
- 30g cheddar powder (1.06 oz)
- 800g 2% cottage cheese (28.2 oz)
- 100g 1/3 fat cream cheese (3.53 oz)
- 150g milk (5.29 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 672g pasta, cooked to 50% (23.7 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tsp black pepper (5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (2.5 ml)
- 2 tsp onion powder (10 ml)
- 1 tablespoon salt (15 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 14oz (400g) can of fire roasted tomatoes (397 g)
- 80g of green chiles (3 tablespoons) (2.82 oz)
- 120g red enchilada sauce (4.24 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Dice the onions and peppers and toss those in the oven to roast.
- 2
Add diced chicken, red enchilada sauce, green chiles, garlic purée, fire roasted tomatoes, and the seasoning blend.
- 3
Add in your roasted vegetables, and cook based on the instructions.
- 4
Once the chicken's done cooking, pour over half cooked pasta and then pour over the blended cheese sauce.
- 5
Mix until well combined, then cover for another 15 to 20 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- 6
Divide into 10 equal sized containers and store in the freezer.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Roast the diced onions and peppers at 425°F for 15-20 minutes until edges char slightly, which triggers the Maillard reaction and caramelizes natural sugars for deeper flavor than sautéing alone.technique425°F for 15-20 minutes
- ✓Cook the pasta to only 60-70% doneness (about 5-6 minutes for most shapes) before combining with the sauce, since it will continue absorbing liquid and softening during the final 15-20 minute simmer and again when reheated from frozen.timing60-70% doneness, 5-6 minutes
- ✓Blend your cheese sauce with a starch stabilizer like a tablespoon of cornstarch slurry per 2 cups of cheese, because the fat in cheese alone can break and turn grainy when frozen and reheated due to ice crystal disruption of the emulsion.ingredient1 tbsp cornstarch per 2 cups cheese
- ✓Cool the finished mac and cheese to below 70°F before dividing into containers and freezing, since rapid temperature drops prevent large ice crystal formation that would otherwise cause the cheese sauce to separate upon reheating.techniquebelow 70°F
- ✓Use freezer-safe containers filled to only 80% capacity, since the sauce's water content expands roughly 9% by volume as it freezes and can crack rigid containers or push out lids.equipment80% capacity, 9% expansion
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Queso Chicken Mac n’ Cheese
Dive into a cheesy delight with our Queso Chicken Mac n' Cheese, a scrumptious meal prep option that’s as easy as tossing everything into your slow cooker! Featuring tender chicken, creamy queso, and perfectly cooked pasta, this dish promises to satisfy your cravings while packing in the protein. Get ready for a comforting bowl of goodness that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 2 orange bell peppers
- 2 red bell peppers
- Optional: chopped cilantrooptional
- 2 tablespoons garlic purée (30 ml)
- 1 onion
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 32oz chicken breast (907 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- 150g extra sharp cheddar cheese* (5.29 oz)use extra sharp full fat cheese for best flavor
- 30g cheddar powder (1.06 oz)
- 800g 2% cottage cheese (28.2 oz)
- 100g 1/3 fat cream cheese (3.53 oz)
- 150g milk (5.29 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 672g pasta, cooked to 50% (23.7 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tsp black pepper (5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (2.5 ml)
- 2 tsp onion powder (10 ml)
- 1 tablespoon salt (15 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 14oz (400g) can of fire roasted tomatoes (397 g)
- 80g of green chiles (3 tablespoons) (2.82 oz)
- 120g red enchilada sauce (4.24 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Dice the onions and peppers and toss those in the oven to roast.
- 2
Add diced chicken, red enchilada sauce, green chiles, garlic purée, fire roasted tomatoes, and the seasoning blend.
- 3
Add in your roasted vegetables, and cook based on the instructions.
- 4
Once the chicken's done cooking, pour over half cooked pasta and then pour over the blended cheese sauce.
- 5
Mix until well combined, then cover for another 15 to 20 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- 6
Divide into 10 equal sized containers and store in the freezer.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Roast the diced onions and peppers at 425°F for 15-20 minutes until edges char slightly, which triggers the Maillard reaction and caramelizes natural sugars for deeper flavor than sautéing alone.technique425°F for 15-20 minutes
- ✓Cook the pasta to only 60-70% doneness (about 5-6 minutes for most shapes) before combining with the sauce, since it will continue absorbing liquid and softening during the final 15-20 minute simmer and again when reheated from frozen.timing60-70% doneness, 5-6 minutes
- ✓Blend your cheese sauce with a starch stabilizer like a tablespoon of cornstarch slurry per 2 cups of cheese, because the fat in cheese alone can break and turn grainy when frozen and reheated due to ice crystal disruption of the emulsion.ingredient1 tbsp cornstarch per 2 cups cheese
- ✓Cool the finished mac and cheese to below 70°F before dividing into containers and freezing, since rapid temperature drops prevent large ice crystal formation that would otherwise cause the cheese sauce to separate upon reheating.techniquebelow 70°F
- ✓Use freezer-safe containers filled to only 80% capacity, since the sauce's water content expands roughly 9% by volume as it freezes and can crack rigid containers or push out lids.equipment80% capacity, 9% expansion