American🥩 Meat

High-Protein Mac and Cheese with Spiced Chicken Thighs

Name: High-Protein Mac and Cheese with Spiced Chicken Thighs
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 900 g boneless skinless chicken thighs; 14 g olive oil; 2 pinches salt; 6 g garlic powder; 6 g smoked paprika; 6 g cayenne pepper; 20 g freshly cracked black pepper; 300 g elbow macaroni (uncooked); 1500 g water; 250 g evaporated milk (or regular milk); 125 g cheddar cheese (block); 50 g parmesan cheese; 10 g cornstarch

⏱ 50 min🍽 Serves 5

A complete meal featuring creamy cheese sauce with elbow macaroni topped with seasoned roasted chicken thighs. Skinless chicken thighs remain juicy even when slightly overcooked. Cornstarch emulsifies the cheese sauce for a rich, creamy texture. Each serving delivers 53g of protein, ideal for high-protein nutrition goals.

High-proteinLow-cal

Adapted from a video by Felu - Fit by cooking

Mac n Cheese but Packed with 53g Protein Every Serving

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

boneless skinless chicken thighs900 g
olive oil14 g
saltplus additional for seasoning2 pinches
garlic powder6 g
smoked paprika6 g
cayenne pepper6 g
freshly cracked black pepper20 g
elbow macaroni (uncooked)300 g
water

Steps

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1
Place 900g of boneless skinless chicken thighs in a large bowl, add 14g of olive oil, and mix well until the meat is evenly coated with a light oil film.
2
Add 2 pinches of salt, 6g each of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika, plus about 20g of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix thoroughly until the meat takes on a red color.
3
Spread the seasoned chicken evenly on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 15 to 18 minutes.
4
Once cooked, remove the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Return the pieces to the baking sheet and mix with all the flavorful pan juices.
5
Shred 125g of cheddar cheese and 50g of parmesan cheese using a box grater. Measure out 250g of evaporated milk and prepare 10g of cornstarch.
6
Heat a 28cm (11-inch) pan, add 1500g of water with 2 pinches of salt. Once boiling, add 300g of uncooked elbow macaroni and simmer for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
7
When the pasta is cooked, remove 2 ladle scoops of pasta water and reserve it, then drain the remaining water. Return the drained pasta to the pan along with the reserved pasta water, evaporated milk, cornstarch, and both cheeses. Keep stirring over medium heat.
8
Continue stirring until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. The cornstarch will quickly activate and emulsify the mixture into a rich, gooey sauce. Turn off the heat once everything is heated through.
9
Prepare 5 meal prep containers and evenly distribute the mac and cheese into each container, using approximately 2 scoops per container. Distribute the chicken thighs in the same manner.
10
Wait for the food to cool completely, then cover the containers with lids. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

High-Protein Mac and Cheese with Spiced Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

Steps

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