Rachel from Rachel Cooks and Brandy from Nutmeg Nanny are hosting a big Mac and Cheese Mania Party today. They invited a bunch of bloggers to participate in this fun mac and cheese gathering.
We absolutely love mac and cheese. In fact one of the most popular recipes ever done on A Zesty Bite is called crack n cheese. This time I wanted to take a different approach to this classic by adding a couple of other ingredients to complete the dish.
Mac and cheese had to be the stand out ingredients but why not add some chicken and delicious sliced leeks. I’ve been trying to incorporate leeks more into our dishes because I just think they are a fun ingredient to cook with. When I add chicken to any dish I more than likely buy a fully cooked rotisserie chicken. Why not…. The store does all the seasoning, prepping and cooking and all I have to do is shred or cut it apart. Definitely saves me time and energy unless I am making chicken as the main dish.
Now back to this mac and cheese mania party. If you visit Rachel Cooks or Nutmeg Nanny you can link up your favorite mac and cheese recipe and you don’t have to be a blogger to enter. Here is a list of prizes being given away for this party.
Door to Door Organics Gift Cards, OXO Gift Baskets, Zak Designs Prize Pack, a year’s supply of Cabot cheese, a Vermont Creamery gift basket, a risotto kit from Marx Foods, Barilla pasta, Anolon Advanced Bronze 4.5 Qt. Tapered Stockpot, Rachael Ray Stoneware Casseroval, Wusthof CLASSIC Studio Block Set, Microplane Graters and Kitchen Tools, a SavorX Starter Block with spices and Le Cordon Bleu by Swissmar oven to table roasters.
All giveaways open to US residents over the age of 18 only.
Mac and Cheese Mania is being sponsored by Door to Door Organics and OXO.
ENJOY ~ Meagan
Skinny Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 13.25 ounce box whole wheat pasta shells
- 2 cups sliced leeks
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 10 3/4 ounce can 98% fat free broccoli cheese soup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles al dente according to the box.
Slice the leeks and place in cold bowl of water to remove any dirt particles.
Add flour and butter to a large sauté pan over low/medium heat. Whisk until butter is melted then add the flour. Keep whisking the rue for about 2 minutes. Then add 1 cup cheddar cheese, broccoli cheese soup and garlic. Stir until cheese is melted.
Add olive oil to another pan over medium heat. Add the drained leeks and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the shredded chicken to the mix and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain the noodles and add them to the cheese mixture. Then add the cooked chicken and leeks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Pour into a large casserole dish and cover. Bake for 30 minutes and then top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes uncovered.