Gourmet Mac & Cheese W/ Lots of Variations

photo by sheepdoc

- Ready In:
- 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 36 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts or 36 ounces canned tuna
- 2 lbs cooked macaroni or 2 lbs other pastas
- 1 quart heavy cream or 1 quart fat-free half-and-half
- 6 ounces goat cheese or 6 ounces other cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- sea salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
-
Optional
- 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika or 2 tablespoons other seasoning
directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Season chicken breasts with paprika (or other spice), salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- (Note: for tuna: saute and bake can add a nice flavor, but skip one or both steps to save time).
- In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and brown chicken on both sides
- Bake for 8 to10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool then dice into large pieces.
- Heat cream in large saucepan. Add herbs, salt, and pepper. Reduce by half.
- Add the cooked pasta, cheese and cooked chicken and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve.
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Reviews
-
This was good, not fabulous. I had a 6 ounce chicken breast, but I was the only eating so I made one serving of the recipe. Afterwards I realized the system didn't scale the cream correctly, it called for 1/4 of a quart, 1 cup, which I reduced to 1/2 cup. I think if I did 2/3 cup down to 1/3 cup it would not have been enough sauce. I did just as the recipe called and tasted. Couldn't taste the goat cheese, so I added another ounce (6 ounces of you make the full recipe), and I topped with another ounce, so 3 times the goat cheese it called for. If using cheddar or a hard cheese it might have to be even more than that. I also topped with a shake of paprika. Like the flavor of the herb & paprika with the goat cheese. Also, it was much more than 1 serving. I am a hearty eater and I ate a full dinner and have enough left over for lunch. For dinner I'd say this would serve 8 easily, more likely 10 for the full recipe. Lastly, It is classified as a one dish meal, which I would mostly agree with, I could have used a green salad or something like that with it, but it is certainly not a one pan meal.
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I really pushed the envelope with variations here. First, 2 pounds of pasta with 2.5 pounds of meat would be a ginormous amount of food. And 6 oz of cheese is not very much. I recently started doing the wheat belly thing so used a 7 oz box of Barilla gluten-free elbows. I had leftover spiral-sliced ham and chopped up about 3/4 pounds of that. I also had 1 pound leftover asparagus. I chopped into 2 inch pieces and cooked the stems with the pasta and the heads the last 2 mmk minutes. I didn't have any cream so used 1 cup milk and 4 tablespoons butter. I also used 8 oz shredded mild cheddar. It was very good. Made for Variety is the Spice of Life 2014.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I am university student and quasi-housewife to my workaholic significant other, who is a phenomenal cook and serious foodie as well. We enjoy undertaking complicated cooking projects to help wind down after a long day...most days we don't get to eat until close to midnight, thanks to his work schedule, our gym time, and our cooking projects. </p>
<p>Our current food interests have been on curries, steak, shellfish, and healthy desserts. The ethnic theme has mostly been Indian and Creole. We like incorporating a lot of spice and experimenting with rare or exotic ingredients.</p>
<p>But we enjoy our wine (we keep a journal) and time together as we cook. When time allows, we will enjoy a nice after-dinner drink (tailored to our dessert choice of course), usually a spicy sipping rum like Zaya or Zacapa or a glass of cognac or tawny port. So we enjoy experimenting with desserts to suit or incorporate various spirits or dessert wines. And trying to find some healthy options so we can enjoy our wine or *****tail with a little less guilt! </p>
<p>But we do love to indulge! And love entertaining family and friends to sample new creations or enjoy some our famous concontions. </p>
<p>Currently, I am experimenting with creating a recipe list that incorporates the philosophy of the best facets of different diet plans while maximizing the benefits of combining the nutritional content of the foods with the health benefits of various spices in order to create nutritionally balanced meals. Just for fun and some interested friends. I'll create a recipe list when I have made more progress.</p>