Chicken Macaroni Southern Style (Print Version)

Comforting Southern macaroni layered with chicken, colorful peppers, and rich cheese sauce.

# Components:

→ 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 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped

→ Sauce

08 - 4 tablespoons 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 teaspoon kosher salt
15 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
17 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

→ Topping

18 - 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
19 - 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers or panko breadcrumbs
20 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
21 - 2 tablespoons 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 tablespoons butter in a 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 cheeses until melted. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
06 - Add cooked macaroni, chicken, chopped eggs, and sautéed vegetables to mixing bowl. Pour cheese sauce over and gently fold to combine.
07 - Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
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 before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and feeds a crowd without making you sweat in the kitchen.
  • The two-cheese sauce is genuinely creamy without being heavy, and the cracker topping adds this satisfying crunch nobody expects.
  • Hard-boiled eggs hidden throughout feel like little flavor surprises, and it reheats beautifully the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time after baking—it's the difference between a casserole that holds together and one that's soupy on the plate.
  • If your cheese sauce breaks or looks grainy, you've either gone too hot or added cold milk to hot butter. Start over with a fresh roux if it happens—it only takes a minute and tastes infinitely better than salvaging a broken sauce.
  • The pasta should be noticeably undercooked when you drain it because the oven time and sauce will finish cooking it perfectly.
03 -
  • Brown a little extra butter in a skillet until it's nutty and fragrant, then drizzle it over the finished casserole instead of plain melted butter—it sounds like a small thing but it genuinely elevates the whole dish.
  • Make your hard-boiled eggs the day before and peel them in a bowl of ice water, which makes them easier to chop and they're less likely to have that gray-green ring around the yolk.
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