Green Chili and Cheese Chicken

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This green chile mac and cheese is a healthier Tex-Mex spin on classic chicken mac and cheese. Every hearty 6-ounce serving has 28 grams of protein with only 21 grams of carbs and 325 calories. And I’ve included plenty of notes for customizing the recipe to make it even healthier!

Even better, you’ll have plenty to go around for feeding a crowd. The picky eater in my house gave this one a big thumbs up, so you’re good on that front. Or if you’d rather save it all for yourself, this mac and cheese reheats perfectly, making it perfect for meal prep.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese with Chicken Recipe Walkthrough
This is a fairly straightforward recipe, but I’ll walk you through each step in the post below and include some ingredient substitution notes along the way. If you’ve made other recipes like my chicken bacon ranch mac and cheese or buffalo chicken mac and cheese, you can probably jump down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • 1 Tbsp (16g) Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 8 oz Banza Pasta Shells
  • 8 oz Diced Green Chiles
  • 1/2 C Milk
  • 8 oz Sharp Cheddar, finely shredded

OPTIONAL CRISP TOPPING

  • 1/4 C (30g) Breadcrumbs
  • 1 Tbsp (16g) Olive Oil

PREPARATION:

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil before adding the paprika, garlic and onion powder, and cumin.
  3. Cook the chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until fully cooked. Set aside.
  4. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes in the boiling water. Drain the pasta and reduce to a low heat. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of milk. Gradually add 6 oz of shredded cheddar, folding everything together.
  5. Once the cheese is melted, add the diced green chiles. Gently fold everything together before adding to the skillet with the chicken.
  6. Mix the breadcrumbs and olive oil together and add on top with the remaining 2 oz of cheese. Broil or bake in a 450ºF oven for 6-8 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy !