Chicken & White Sauce Baked Mac n’ Cheese

Caution!  This is probably extremely unhealthy but it’s also delicious so I had to share.  A little bit of anything is ok to have in moderation though…right?  At least that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself.  This baked mac and cheese is full of chicken, white sauce, and plenty of ooey gooey cheese.  There are a couple of veggies in here as well like spinach, bell peppers, and tomatoes which hopefully help balance the unhealthy factor out ever so slightly. 

Ingredients:

White Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp white flour
1  cup milk
pinch of salt

Chicken/Pasta:
1-2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic. crushed
2 chicken breast halves, 1 inch cubed
1/2 bunch spinach, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
2 cups macaroni, boiled al dente and drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano

Method:
For the sauce:

1. Heat the butter along with the flour in a pot while stirring constantly until the flour starts to turn light golden in color.
2. Add milk and a pinch of salt, stir until the milk comes to a boil and then lower the heat.  Cook until it thickens slightly.
3. Set the sauce aside.

Chicken/Pasta:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil add the garlic and stir for a few seconds before adding the chicken.   Stir and cook until the chicken turns golden in color and is cooked through.
3. Add the  spinach, bell peppers, and onion and cook until the spinach begins to wilt- only 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes along with the chili flakes, white and black pepper.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in the boiled macaroni, white sauce, and cheese.
6. Sprinkle the top with some dried oregano.
7. Place the skillet in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the top turns a nice golden brown color.
8. When removing from the oven let the dish rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.