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    Home » Dinner » Pasta

    Chicken Pesto Mac & Cheese

    Published: Jan 5, 2022 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

    911 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    pesto mac and cheese served on a light pink plate on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Homemade Mac & Cheese is taken to the next level with a dollop of homemade basil pesto. Cheddar, Basil Pesto, and Greek Yogurt make this Chicken Pesto Mac & Cheese absolutely delicious! And ready in less than 30 minutes!  Step by step photos teach you how to make this perfect weeknight dinner!

    pesto mac and cheese served on a light pink plate on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Pasta is a love of mine. Who the heck doesn't love pasta?! A crazy person that's who. Sorry if you are that person, I just don't understand how you cannot be in love with pasta. A garlic olive oil sauce, a beautiful juicy tomato sauce, or a rich cheesy cream sauce...how on earth can you go wrong? I'll take all of the above!

    My favorite Italian restaurant around where I live is Roman Cucina. On Tuesday nights there special is a creamy pesto and I freaking LOVE IT! It is that good. They also have a delicious tiramisu, oh and they have seasonal cheesecakes- lemon, Oreo, cookie dough, pumpkin..oh how I love all of them!

    chicken pesto mac and cheese in a saucepan on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Well, last week I made some homemade basil pesto, so easy and delicious, and for dinner, I had to make a creamy pesto sauce. The problem was I was craving mac and cheese so I kind of combined the two. Awesome choice, if I do say so myself.

    This is the Basil Pesto Recipe I used in the pasta. You could also try my Easy Walnut Pesto Recipe.

    Let's get to the recipe.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • More pesto recipes
    • Recipe Card
    • Recipe Ratings & Comments

    Ingredients

    For this easy weeknight pasta dinner you'll need:

    • Chicken Breast. I prefer to use Boneless and Skinless.
    • Pasta Noodles. I like Callentani or Elbow macaroni noodles
    • Salted Butter. You could use unsalted if you want but I prefer salted.
    • All-Purpose Flour. Just a little flour is combined with the butter to create a roux which is the base for the creamy sauce.
    • Salt & Pepper. To taste, I start with ½ teaspoon of each
    • Milk. You can use any milk just keep in mind whole milk will create a richer sauce.
    • Cheese. I like to use a blend of Sharp Cheddar, Fontina, Gruyere
    • Basil Pesto. You can use store-bought or make homemade pesto.
    • Greek Yogurt. You could also use sour cream.

    Another delicious chicken dinner is my chicken parmesan meatballs, chicken pot pie recipe or crockpot salsa chicken. And don't miss my Rosa lasagna for the ultimate comfort!

    Instructions

    Place a large skillet over medium heat, and season raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add a little cooking oil to the pan and add the chicken.

    chicken breast cooking in a skillet checked that its cooked to temperature with a instant read thermometer on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Cook chicken breasts over medium heat, flip after 4 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken breasts are the remaining cooking time could take 8 minutes - 15 minutes. For this reason, I suggest using a digital instant-read thermometer to test the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F. Once the chicken is cooked place it on a plate and cover with foil to rest. 

    Sometimes I just prep a bunch of chicken for the week and use precooked chicken, this is how I boil chicken breasts.

    chicken breast rested then chopped up into bite size pieces on a white plate on a marble surface

    Cook the noodles according to box instructions, set them aside.

    In the chicken pan add butter and flour and whisk for two minutes until both are fully combined.

    flour and butter added to chicken juices in a non-stick frying pan on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Mix in salt, pepper, and milk once combined let simmer for two minutes, whisking frequently.

    milk poured into roux in saucepan on a marble surface

    It should thicken up nicely.

    white sauce thickened in a saucepan with a whisk on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Whisk in cheese and mix until fully melted.

    grated cheese added to white sauce in a saucepan on a marble surface with a blue and white linen
    cheese whisked into white sauce in a dark non stick skillet on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Then add pesto and greek yogurt.

    sour cream and pesto sauce added to cheese sauce in a saucepan on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the sauce then add pasta, let cook for two minutes.

    noodles and chicken added to pesto cheese sauce in a saucepan on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Serve immediately, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired. For another cheesy recipe try my cheese straws.

    up close of pesto mac and cheese with chicken in a saucepan on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    More pesto recipes

    For a lunchtime recipe, I adore my chicken pesto salad on romaine lettuce boats or a fresh roll.

    My friend Ari makes the best braided peso bread!

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    Recipe Card

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    pesto mac and cheese served on a light pink plate on a marble surface with a blue and white linen

    Chicken Pesto Mac & Cheese

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Homemade Mac & Cheese is taken to the next level with a dollop of homemade basil pesto. Cheddar, Basil Pesto, and Greek Yogurt make this Chicken Pesto Mac & Cheese absolutely delicious! And ready in less than 30 minutes!  Step by step photos teach you how to make this perfect weeknight dinner!

    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 4 Servings 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1.5lbs Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast
    • ½lb Uncooked Noodles, I like Callentani or Elbow MacaroniNoodles
    • 2oz Salted Butter
    • ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
    • Salt & Pepper to taste, I start with ½ teaspoon of each
    • 12oz Milk (whole milk will create a richer sauce)
    • 1 ½ cups Cheese (Sharp Cheddar, Fontina, Gruyere)
    • 2oz Basil Pesto
    • 2oz Greek Yogurt

    Instructions

    1. Place a large skillet over medium heat, season raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add a little cooking oil to the pan and add the chicken. Cook chicken breasts over medium heat, flip after 4 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken breasts are the remaining cooking time could take 8 minutes - 15 minutes. For this reason, I suggest using a digital instant-read thermometer to test the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F. Once the chicken is cooked place it on a plate and cover with foil to rest. 
    2. Cook the noodles according to box instructions, set them aside.
    3. In the chicken pan add butter and flour and whisk for two minutes until both are fully combined. Mix in salt, pepper, and milk once combined let simmer for two minutes whisking frequently until the sauce thickens.
    4. Whisk in cheese until fully melted then add pesto and greek yogurt. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the sauce then and pasta, let cook for two minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

    Equipment

    thermapen mk4

    Thermapen Mk4

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    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: pasta
    • Method: cooking
    • Cuisine: Italian/ American

    Keywords: basil pesto mac and cheese, pesto mac and cheese with chicken, chicken pesto pasta

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @confessionsofabakingqueen on Instagram and hashtag it #cbqbakes

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    1. Ashley says

      September 07, 2014 at 4:20 pm

      Yup, I definitely love pasta as well! It's just so good!!

      This looks awesome - LOVE that you used greek yogurt to help make it creamy!

      Reply
    2. Liz says

      September 07, 2014 at 6:08 pm

      Oh, wow! Why have I never added pesto to my mac and cheese? Brilliant! And the addition of chicken would make my hubby happy, too. A winner of a recipe!

      Reply
    3. Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says

      September 09, 2014 at 6:01 pm

      mmmmmmmmmmmm! I love pasta too....and mac n cheese....and pesto....HOORAY!

      Reply
    4. Jessica @ Sweet Menu says

      September 15, 2014 at 9:18 pm

      Oh delicious! I love pesto - this is a fantastic way to jazz up mac and cheese!

      Reply
    5. Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says

      September 16, 2014 at 4:21 am

      I love love pesto pasta! This mac and cheese looks so creamy! Yum!

      Reply
    6. Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures says

      September 16, 2014 at 6:48 am

      Delicious! Absolute comfort food!

      Reply
    7. Jocelyn@Brucrewlife says

      September 19, 2014 at 4:48 pm

      Oh how I love this Mac & cheese!! I must try this out soon! 🙂

      Reply
    8. Roger says

      July 30, 2019 at 9:58 am

      Wow this pesto chicken recipe SLAPS! so bomb!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Maddy says

      September 12, 2021 at 5:07 pm

      Such a fast and easy weeknight dinner! I added broccoli to mine when I made it and it was delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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    pesto mac and cheese served on a light pink plate on a marble surface with a blue and white linen
    elizabeth mixing frosting

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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