Chicken Macaroni Southern Style (Printable Page)

A comforting baked dish with chicken, macaroni, bell peppers, and cheese sauce, inspired by Southern flavors.

# What You 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)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil macaroni in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Melt 4 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in peas and cook 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
04 - Sprinkle flour over remaining butter in skillet. Whisk constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Simmer 3–4 minutes until thickened.
05 - Remove sauce from heat. Stir in 1 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup Monterey Jack until melted. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
06 - Add cooked macaroni, chicken, chopped eggs, and sautéed vegetables to the mixing bowl. Pour cheese sauce over and gently combine.
07 - Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
08 - Mix crushed crackers or breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over casserole.
09 - Bake 25–30 minutes until bubbly and golden. Let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The hard-boiled eggs add a subtle richness that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.
  • It's creamy but not heavy, with enough vegetables to feel like an actual balanced meal.
  • One pan to clean after dinner, which might be the best part.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling period—I learned this the hard way when I spooned it out and it fell apart because the sauce was still too loose.
  • The cracker topping is what separates this from plain mac and cheese; don't be shy with it, and make sure it's tossed in butter or it'll stay dry and sad.
03 -
  • Toast your crushed crackers in a dry skillet for two minutes before tossing them with butter—it brings out a deeper flavor that makes people notice.
  • Make sure your hard-boiled eggs are completely cool and easy to handle before chopping; warm eggs turn into mush.
Go Back