Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese
Published 8/11/2023 • Updated 1/24/2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Tuscan chicken mac and cheese is one of our most popular and unique mac and cheese recipes. Our favorite flavors are Italian inspired and this Tuscan mac and cheese has it all. Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and basil, all the best!
When we started The Cheese Knees we made it a goal to create the best mac and cheese recipe and we did it. People rave about it! Next up was creating delicious and unique mac and cheese recipes and this Tuscan chicken mac and cheese is our new favorite recipe!
Featured Comment
” I made this tonight, and my family liked it! The sun-dried tomatoes are a nice break from the usual jarred spaghetti sauce and it’s a great recipe to use up spinach!” -Elizabeth
What You Need for Chicken Mac and Cheese
The mac and cheese sauce is a combination of delicious flavors from garlic, onion, herbs and tomatoes. You need all of those ingredients and sun-dried tomatoes for the perfect sauce.
You also need chicken breast, spinach, and your favorite Dutch oven. You will have the best chicken mac and cheese in no time.
Great Jones
The Dutchess
This is hands-down our favorite Dutch oven. It’s a 6.75 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven that’s super high-quality and gorgeous.
Variations + Substitutions
We used cavatappi noodles but you can use any type of noodle that has shape to hold sauce.
If you are looking for a vegetarian option, skip the chicken!
Looking for more vegetables in your Tuscan chicken mac and cheese? You can saute vegetables (bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, etc.) with the chicken.
simple
Mac and Cheese Sauce
Want to learn more about how to make a simple mac and cheese sauce? Check out the best mac and cheese sauce, ever.
FAQ
We highly recommend serving your mac and cheese with chicken. We love chicken in this Tuscan chicken mac and cheese, bbq chicken mac and cheese, and buffalo mac and cheese.
Mac and cheese is also delicious with BACON.
We suggest using mild cheeses that melt well. You can use Monterey jack cheese, pecorino romano, or mozzarella cheese. Get creative and use different cheese combinations.
Yes, chicken thighs would be delicious in this recipe. It will add flavor and extra moisture.
You can add mushrooms, sautéed kale, wilted spinach, or sautéed peppers to this chicken mac and cheese.
How to Store Mac and Cheese
Allow your Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese to cool completely to room temperature before storing. This will prevent excess moisture from building up in the storage container, which could make your dish soggy.
Store the Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese in the refrigerator if you plan to eat it within 3-4 days.
Reheating Mac and Cheese
The key to reheating mac and cheese is to add a little moisture (milk works great!) since the noodles continue to absorb moisture even after it’s originally cooked, and to reheat low and slow to avoid the cheese breaking down and changing texture.
If you have time to reheat your mac and cheese in the oven, that is a great method! Simply add a little milk (start with a tablespoon, and go up from there depending on how much mac you’re reheating!), and stir thoroughly before covering an oven-safe dish and placing in the oven at 350°F.
You’ll need 10-20 minutes of reheating time, depending on how much mac you’re reheating.
Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cavatappi noodles
- 1 teaspoon salt, separated
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 8.5 oz. Bella Sun Luci Tomatoes, with Italian Herbs, Julienne Cut, drained from the olive oil
- 3 tablespoons olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes, separated
- 1 medium white onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups packed spinach, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1/3 cup shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Being by cooking the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the noodles, stir, and follow the direction on the back of the package. Strain the noodles and set aside.
- Next, add the salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes into a bowl and mix. Set aside.
- Prepare the chicken breast by placing the raw chicken on a cutting board. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the chicken. Pound the chicken with a meat cleaver until the chicken is the same thickness throughout (about 1/2 inch thickness).
- Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning in the bowl. Be sure the entire chicken breast is covered with the seasonings.
- Next, heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes. When the olive oil is fragrant add the chicken to the pan. Sear each side of the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the chicken reaches the internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove chicken from the pan, let cool, and then cut the chicken into chunks. Set aside.
- Keep the olive oil and chicken juices in the skillet. Add onions, garlic, spinach, thyme, and oregano to the juices and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, toss and remove from heat. Set aside.
- Prepare the cheese sauce by heating a large pot over medium/high heat. Add butter.
- When the butter is melted add flour to the butter and whisk until a crumble or paste forms.
- Turn heat to medium and slowly add the milk to the pot, stirring constantly until the milk thickens. When the milk thickens, add the salt, thyme, oregano, cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, and olive oil to the sauce and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is thick.
- Finally, add the noodles, vegetables, and chicken to the cheese sauce and mix until combined. Heat over medium/high heat until everything is hot.
- Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #cheeseknees, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
Hello, could you please provide the measurements for the ingredients to the cheese sauce? I know the cheese sauce consists of butter, flour, salt, thyme, oregano, cheddar, parmesan, and mozzarella, but the recipe doesn’t say how much of each. Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks so much for catching this 🙂 We’ve added the ingredient amounts for the cheese sauce in the recipe card.
Thank you for the ingredient amounts! I made this tonight, and my family liked it! The sun-dried tomatoes are a nice break from the usual jarred spaghetti sauce and it’s a great recipe to use up spinach!
You are so welcome! SO glad the fam loved it 🙂
Looks yummy! Just be sure to add the noodles to the ingredients list on the recipe!
Good catch! For some reason, it wasn’t rendering on the live site. FIXED!