Chicken Macaroni Southern Style (Printable Version)

Comforting Southern-style pasta with chicken, colorful vegetables, and creamy cheese sauce baked golden.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz elbow macaroni

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

→ Eggs

07 - 3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

→ Sauce

08 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 2 cups whole milk
11 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
13 - 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
14 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
15 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
16 - 1/2 tsp paprika
17 - 1/4 tsp garlic powder

→ Topping

18 - 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
19 - 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers or panko breadcrumbs
20 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
21 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil macaroni in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and celery; sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in peas and cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
04 - Sprinkle flour over remaining butter in skillet; whisk 1 minute. Gradually add milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly until smooth. Cook 3–4 minutes until thickened.
05 - Remove sauce from heat. Stir in cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese until melted. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
06 - In mixing bowl, combine cooked macaroni, chicken, chopped eggs, and sautéed vegetables. Pour cheese sauce over mixture and gently fold to combine.
07 - Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese evenly on top.
08 - Mix crushed crackers or breadcrumbs with melted butter. Evenly sprinkle over casserole.
09 - Bake for 25–30 minutes until bubbly and golden. Let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and feels like you've been cooking all day.
  • The hard-boiled eggs add unexpected richness and texture that elevates it beyond basic mac and cheese.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes even better as leftovers, so make it for a crowd.
02 -
  • Don't skip the thickening step for the sauce—if you rush it or use cold milk, you'll end up with a grainy, broken sauce that separates as it bakes.
  • Hard-boiled eggs break apart if you chop them too aggressively, so use a gentle hand or even slice them thick and then quarter them.
  • The macaroni must be slightly undercooked because it continues cooking in the oven, and mushy pasta ruins everything else that's good about this dish.
03 -
  • Make sure your vegetables are properly diced into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly and distribute throughout the dish instead of clumping in one corner.
  • When you're making the sauce, the gradual addition of milk while whisking is non-negotiable—it's what keeps lumps from forming and makes the texture silky instead of grainy.
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