Two favorites in one! This BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese can be made all in one pot for an easy weeknight meal ready in 30 minutes or less!
I’m all about combining favourites.
I mean, adding two already delicious things together can only make it better, right?
Obviously, there are exceptions. Only about a million of them.
But if you could peek inside my mind throughout the day you’d see, “pizza… what can I put on pizza that I never have before? What can I combine and put together on pizza that I’ve never seen before?” And then an hour later, “Mac and cheese…. there are already so many awesome variations of mac and cheese…. what can I put on mac and cheese.”
I feel like it’s kind of my thing.
And the cool part is, I didn’t know it was my thing until I started blogging and was trying to come up with new recipes.
I love coming up with different (in a good way) combinations that I’ve never seen before.
Like this BBQ Chili Shepherd’s Pie.
And this Pepperoni Florentine Pizza.
Spaghetti and Garlic Toast Grilled Cheese.
Lentils and chocolate cake.
Mexican beef and scalloped potatoes.
When I was thinking about starting a food blog, I thought to myself, “but who is really going to look at it? There are so many food blogs already out there, how can I be any different from any of them?”
But that’s the great thing about food. There are positively endless combinations and ways to reinvent recipes.
So what do you add to your mac and cheese?
I love the combination of velvety, creamy cheese sauce and smoky, sweet barbecue sauce in this mac and cheese. They’re such different flavour profiles but they complement each other so nicely. After all, who doesn’t love cheese and barbecue?
You might also like this One Pot BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pasta!
Or this One Pot Pepperoni Pizza Mac & Cheese!
BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
For the barbecue chicken:
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
For the mac and cheese
- 4 cups macaroni
- 5 cups milk
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cups cheese
Instructions
- Rub chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken breasts to a large pot and cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes until cooked through (165 degrees F), flipping once. Remove to a cutting board and slice thinly. Toss with barbecue sauce and set aside, keeping warm while you make the macaroni.
- In a large pot, combine macaroni, milk and salt. Over medium-high heat (you don’t want it too high, because milk will scald and leave a bitter flavour), bring the milk to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce to medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes until noodles are cooked and milk is thickened (if sauce is thick before pasta is cooked, slowly add in a little bit more milk). Stir in cheese.
- Spread macaroni and cheese into serving dish and top with BBQ chicken. Garnish with extra cheese and green onions if desired.
Notes
*You want to stir frequently and watch closely, because there isn’t extra moisture in the pot and you don’t want the noodles stuck to the bottom. You also don’t want your milk to scald on the bottom of the pot.
Nutrition Information
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Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
oh my gawd, Ashley! I love this!!! We sometimes add broccoli or chopped hot dogs to our mac and cheese for the kiddos! but this is wayyyyyy better! delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Hahaha, thanks Alice!
Amanda says
What kind of cheese did you use? Shredded mild cheddar?
Ashley says
I used marble, but cheddar or mozzarella would work well, too!
Amanda says
By marble you mean colby jack? Sorry, just want to get this right I am making this today! ๐
Ashley says
I use plain old marble Amanda. I’m in Canada, so I’m not sure if you have the same varieties that we do or not… I would consider it a cross between a mozarella or white cheddar and regular cheddar. I think regular cheddar would be amazing, too, though, if you don’t have marble! Or pretty much anything you like!
Kathryn says
How much barbeque sauce goes in the crockpot? Why is it divided?
Ashley says
So sorry Kathryn — I’ve updated the recipe. Didn’t realize I missed a step!
Adrian says
Surprisingly this looks really delicious!
Ashley says
Haha, thanks Adrian!
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says
Your flavor combos are always so exciting! I can’t wait to dive into a big ole bowl of this bbq mac and cheese! ๐
Ashley says
Thanks Jess! It’s the only way I seem to come up with new ideas! lol
Mallory @ Chocolate with Grace says
This is a great way to reinvent old recipes, Ashley. Love Barbecue Chicken and mac and cheese!
Ashley says
Thanks Mallory!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing!!! I love that you combined BBC chicken and Mac & Cheese – what a great and delicious idea! Pinning ๐
Ashley says
I’ve taken to just combining random things I like. Lol. Thanks Kelly!
Jamie | Jamie's Recipes says
I like the way you think. Toss out the bun and get your carbs from ooey gooey mac and cheese.
Ashley says
Haha, definitely! Though you could always make it a BBQ chicken Mac and cheese sandwich!
Matt Robinson says
An awesome combo that I need to make here. It would be a huge hit:)
Ashley says
I figure you can’t go too wrong with barbecue and cheese! Thanks Matt ๐
Rina~I Thee Cook says
Seriously! What a great combo. 3 of my favorite things!! Pinning this.
Ashley says
Thanks so much Rina!
Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy says
What?!! BBQ chicken AND mac and cheese?! You are my hero. This looks wonderful! Pinned!!
Ashley says
Thanks for sharing Jen! It’s hard to make Mac and Cheese any better… but I try! lol