So one lovely afternoon, my dear friend Kerri and I were at a local brewery having a late lunch together, and we saw this item on the menu. Not only was it very pretty in it's presentation, but it was love after first bite! We sat there trying to figure out what went into possibly, theeeee best macaroni and cheese I have ever had. And the chicken in with it, all white meat, so juicy and tender, not one dry piece in the whole casserole! Kerri looked at me and said, you have to make this. I gladly obliged. Well, I tried cheating and seeing if there was already a recipe online that might have been posted. Dammit, no such luck. Damn, I would have to go into the kitchen and see what I could do. ( yea I know, suffering right? not!) So Kerri and I were chatting online that night and I was like, yea , no, I cannot find a recipe for it, nor could i really identify the cheeses used, which I was shocked and appalled at myself, I have tasted many a macaroni and cheese, let alone A LOT of cheese in my life, and I told Kerri... there is Parmesan in it, i know that much. So, my lovely new research assistant went online and presented me with an article by.. someone.. not sure who. Well they claimed, SHARP White Vermont Cheddar and Sharp Cheddar along with a lot of freshly cracked black pepper and of course Parmesan and Panko bread crumbs on the top. I sat there staring at the article and the brain went to work.. .I knew it was not 100% sharp cheddar, I did agree about the pepper, and I know the finished product to crunch the top was done under a salamander or broiler of some kind. But how did they do the sauce? Did they bake it before hand before crisping the top or was it all done on top of the stove. Since the consistency of the sauce was more creamy and saucy, I voted they did it on the stove top. Anyhow, i tried it, and it was a smash hit, even teenager approved!! Now THAT was an honor! Since Kerri inspired me down this culinary trail and her research efforts, i decided to name the dish after her. The secret to this recipe is roasting the chicken in advance, and using regular white Vermont and yellow cheddar along with one cup of cream sneaked in amongst the milk with plenty of black pepper! And of course, Panko bread crumbs! Hello my name is Bob, And I am a Macaroni and Cheese Addict.. there is no other perfect main or side dish on the planet!
Roasted Chicken
6 bone in, skin on Chicken Breasts
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Wipe breasts off with a paper towel if needed. Place on lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with fresh cracked pepper and Kosher salt. Bake for 30-40 minutes until juicy, tender and juices run clear. ( I cooked mine for the full 40 minutes and it came out perfectly, however it does depend on your oven.) Remove from oven and pan, set aside allow to cool. You can make this a day ahead of time. Remove the skin ( and devour!! nom nom nom, hey, its good to be the cook!) Remove breast meat and cut into good sized chunks. Do not be small and skimpy on this.
The Sauce (Bechamel)
Ooooh, mother sauce. Oooooh so goood!!! And so easy to make, but like most things worth making, it takes a little bit of patience and a little love. ( and a few Christmas ornaments!) No no, no ornaments... but moving on.....
6T. Flour
6T Unsalted Butter
3 Cups of Milk
1 cup of Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
3/4 pound White Vermont Cheddar
1/4 pound Yellow Vermont Cheddar
a light sprinkling of nut meg
Salt to taste
Melt the butter over medium low heat, add your flour and make a blonde roux. ( Please see article in breakfast section of blog titled.. Something happened on the way to the sausage gravy for a full explanation of rouxs!) What you are doing is cooking the roux for a minute or 3 until the floury smell goes away, and it smells "nutty". The roux will be blonde in color. Now get ready to "stand by your man" and whisk/stir into eternity.... turning the heat down to low (not tooo low or you will be there forever) whisk in 2 cups of milk, Really whisk and whisk until the lumps are gone, the flour bits cook in and you have a very smooth base. Add the remaining cup of milk and cream. Add 1 T. of pepper and the light sprinkling of nutmeg ( about a scant 1/4 teaspoon, your using it to add more warmth to the casserole.) Add kosher salt to taste. Staying on low heat, stand there and stir and stir slowly and lovingly. A Good bechemel, does not burn and it does not boil, at all. Hence why you are stirring to release the steam. continue in this fashion until the sauce is thickened thoroughly. (about 10 to 20 minutes) Keeping the heat on low, add all of your grated cheese and stir until the cheese melts into the sauce. Add your chunked chicken, leave on low and simmer there for 10 minutes. At the end turn the heat off and fold in the noodles you have selected.... speaking of noodles......
1 Box of Cavatappi or Shell Noodles
1 box of Cavatappi or Shell Noodles ( find a noodle that you like which had a ridged running through it, like Mostaccoli or shell noodles. I used Cavatappi to stand up to the chicken and to absorb the sauce. Cook the noodles in salted, boiling water till al dente. Refer to your box instructions. Drain the noodles and completely rinse off in cold water until the noodles are cooled off completely. Fold into your sauce. Then....
Topping:
1-2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs ( I used 2, depending if you want a heavy or light bread crumb topping)
4 T. Butter melted.
1/2 cup Kraft Bottle Parmesan Cheese ( yup, the powder)
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella (optional)
Melt butter in saute pan. Ad bread crumbs and stir around until the butter is thoroughly combined with the bread crumbs. Take off heat and stir in Parmesan Powder. (I know, but it works well)
Now the assembly... spray a large 9x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour in half the mixture. Then put a thin layer of shredded Mozzarella cheese. You do not want a lot, otherwise you will have Mac N Cheese Chicken Lasagna, What I was aiming at by doing this is adding another depth of flavor and having cheese strings come out of the casserole when it was cut into and served, giving it more of a home style appeal. But you can skip the Mozzarella cheese step completely. Add the rest of your pasta, chicken and sauce mixture. Top with bread crumbs. Toss under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the bread crumbs and serve!!! ENJOY!!
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