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!
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!
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.
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, chicken lettuce wraps, 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.
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.
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.
Mix in salt, pepper, and milk once combined let simmer for two minutes, whisking frequently.
It should thicken up nicely.
Whisk in cheese and mix until fully melted.
Then add pesto and greek yogurt.
Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the sauce then add pasta, let cook for two minutes.
Serve immediately, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired. For another cheesy recipe try my cheese straws.
More pesto recipes
For a lunchtime recipe, I adore my chicken pesto salad on romaine lettuce boats or a fresh roll.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Chicken Pesto Mac & Cheese
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
- 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
- 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.
- 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. Mix in salt, pepper, and milk once combined let simmer for two minutes whisking frequently until the sauce thickens.
- 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
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: pasta
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: Italian/ American
Maddy says
Such a fast and easy weeknight dinner! I added broccoli to mine when I made it and it was delicious!