High-Protein Honey Garlic Butter Chicken with Mac & Cheese
A delicious and easy one-pan meal combining juicy honey garlic butter chicken with creamy mac and cheese, ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 pieces chicken breasts (cubed)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp avocado oil (or oil of choice)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
For the Mac & Cheese
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 12 oz elbow macaroni (cooked al dente)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika more spices for flavor
- 2 tsp garlic powder more spices for flavor
- 2 tsp salt more spices for flavor
- 1/2 tsp black pepper more spices for flavor
Instructions
Preparation
- In a large bowl, mix the cubed chicken with olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Let it marinate for 10 minutes.
Cooking the Chicken
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes until fully cooked. Lower the heat and toss in the butter, honey, and chopped parsley. Let it melt and coat the chicken, then set aside.
Mac & Cheese Preparation
- In the same skillet, melt some butter to deglaze the pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and let it bubble.
- Stir in the mozzarella, cheddar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Boil the elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Combining
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and let it simmer on low for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
Serving
- Enjoy warm, or divide leftovers into airtight containers for meal prep.
Notes
You can marinate the chicken a few hours in advance for even more flavor. Feel free to add more cheese. Under-cook the macaroni slightly to prevent it from getting mushy.