Chicken Pie Mac N Cheese
Two comfort foods in one - a creamy chicken and leek pie filling layered through a proper baked mac and cheese, best assembled ahead and baked on the day.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 leek, finely chopped
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
4 chicken thighs, finely chopped and seasoned
2 cobs corn, kernels removed
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup garlic sauce or garlic dip
500g macaroni
50g butter
250g cream cheese
300g grated cheddar
1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
100g mozzarella, grated or sliced
100g cheddar, for topping
METHOD
Finely chop the leek and sauté it in the butter and olive oil over low heat with the lid on, letting it sweat and soften for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Turn the heat to high and add the chicken thighs to the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Let them brown thoroughly on one side without stirring to caramelise, about 10 minutes.
Add the corn, frozen peas and the sautéed leeks back into the pan. Stir well to combine, then add the thyme. Set aside until cool, then stir through the garlic dip.
Cook the macaroni until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water.
In the same saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cream cheese and grated cheddar and stir until well combined.
Add the cooked pasta back into the saucepan, letting the heat melt and combine the cheeses. Use the reserved pasta water to loosen the mixture as needed.
In a large baking dish, layer half of the mac and cheese.
Top with the chicken and leek mixture.
Finish with the remaining mac and cheese on top.
Sprinkle over the mozzarella and cheddar.
Bake until bubbling and golden, about 30 minutes.
HINTS
This is best assembled ahead and baked on the day, so it is a good one to get together the night before.
Let the chicken thighs brown hard on one side without stirring - that caramelisation is where the flavour comes from.
Hold back some of the reserved pasta water and add it gradually; you want the cheese sauce loose enough to stay creamy after baking.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6 - guide only):
Energy: 22500 kJ (5380 cal)
Protein: 260 g
Fat: 290 g
Saturated fat: 155 g
Carbohydrate: 420 g
Sugars: 35 g
Sodium: 5200 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.