Chicken Macaroni Southern Style (Printable Version)

Comforting pasta bake with tender chicken, vibrant peppers, and chopped eggs in a creamy sauce.

# 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 salted water in a large pot. Cook macaroni until just al dente, then drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and celery; sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in peas and cook for 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl.
04 - In the same skillet, sprinkle flour over remaining butter and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and chicken broth until smooth. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheeses until melted. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
06 - Add cooked macaroni, chicken, chopped eggs, and sautéed vegetables to the bowl. Pour cheese sauce over and gently fold until well combined.
07 - Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
08 - Mix crushed crackers or breadcrumbs with melted butter, then evenly sprinkle over the casserole.
09 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and golden on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before garnishing with chopped parsley, if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The cream sauce is silky and clingy in a way that makes people go back for seconds without thinking.
  • Hard-boiled eggs mixed throughout give unexpected pockets of richness that elevate it beyond ordinary mac and cheese.
  • It comes together in under an hour and feels homemade in the best, most unrushed way.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or gets lumpy, you added the liquid too fast or the heat was too high—next time go slower and stay patient.
  • The magic happens in the last 5 minutes of baking when the top goes from pale to golden; watch for that moment or it can slip from perfect to overdone.
03 -
  • Use rotisserie chicken when you're short on time—the flavor is already there and one less step means more time to focus on nailing the sauce.
  • Don't skip the resting time after baking; those five minutes let the casserole set up so it doesn't slump all over the plate and look defeated.
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