Description
A cheesy mac and cheese chicken quesadilla, perfect for a quick and family-friendly weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- For the chicken: 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- For the mac and cheese: 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- For the quesadillas: 4 large flour tortillas, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Boil salted water and cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth.
- Cook the sauce for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in cheddar cheese, salt, and black pepper until melted and creamy. Add cooked macaroni and mix well.
- Season chicken with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes, then dice into small pieces.
- Spread mac and cheese on one half of each tortilla. Top with diced chicken and sprinkle mozzarella cheese.
- Fold tortillas over to close.
- Heat a clean skillet over medium heat with a small amount of butter. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Slice into wedges and serve warm.
Notes
- Use freshly shredded cheese for best results.
- Do not overfill tortillas to keep them crisp.
- Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: American