Blackened Chicken Mac and Cheese

This macaroni and cheese recipe is perfect as the creamy cheesy mac cools the spice of the blackening seasonings. Loaded with bacon, peas and topped with fresh scallions, it's a grown up twist on a childhood favorite. And my go-to when I want a bowl of seriously delcioous comfort food.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 567kcal

Author Kita Roberts

Equipment

10-12" Cast Iron Skillet or other oven safe skillet

Ingredients

For the Crispy Bacon

¼ lbs bacon cut into ¼″ cubes

For the Chicken

2 tablespoon butter melted
⅓ cup blackening seasoning
1 lbs chicken sliced thin and trimmed if needed

For the Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb pasta
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon flour
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup frozen peas

Garnish

scallions sliced thin

Instructions

Cook the Bacon

Preheat a skilled over medium to medium-high heat.
Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined place to drain.

Make the Blackened Chicken

Heat griddle or skillet over high heat until smoking.
Arrange melted butter in a bowl next to a dish with the blackening spice.
Coat the chicken in butter, then cover in a liberal coating of the blackening spice.
When the griddle surface is smoking, turn on a fan for ventilation and add the chicken. Reduce heat to medium-high if needed to prevent burning.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning as needed until all sides are blackened and chicken is cooked through. Remove from griddle and cover while preparing the macaroni.

Boil the pasta

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to directions on box; Drain and set aside.

Make the Macaroni and cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour.
Cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the cream and milk. Add the cheese and stir until melted through.
Toss cheese sauce over pasta. Add the frozen peas and bacon.

Garnish and Serve

Place heaping portions of macaroni and cheese on plate, top with chicken and garish with freshly sliced scallions.

Notes

A large cast-iron griddle or skillet works best for an even blackened coating on the chicken.

This recipe gets smoky, so work under a well-ventilated good or outside on the grill.

For blackening seasoning, we use Spiceology Black Magic or Chef Paul Magic Seasoning Blends (found at most grocery stores)

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