This delicious baked chicken mac and cheese casserole is so deliciously cheesy and comforting! Topped with panko breadcrumbs, it’s super easy to make and ready to serve in 35 minutes!
Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
What’s better than mac and cheese? This recipe!
This baked chicken mac and cheese is the most delicious casserole! It’s the perfect comfort food that’s so simple to make, and it’s a dinner that the whole family will love!
For more pasta recipes, be sure to check out my Instant Pot Chicken Pasta and Chicken Bacon Pasta Bake.
Why You’ll Love this Baked Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe:
- Easy: Made with a boxed mac and cheese, it only takes 10 minutes to prep this delicious dinner.
- Kid friendly: Even the pickiest of eaters will love this recipe!
I’m sure you’ll love this Honey Pepper Mac and Cheese too!
How to make baked chicken mac and cheese
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Marinate the chicken in the pickle sauce, sugar and pepper.
- Make the mac and cheese, and mix in extra butter and cheese.
- Bake the breadcrumbs until golden brown.
- Cook the chicken through in a skillet.
- Mix the cooked chicken with the mac and cheese.
- Add to a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and top with the breadcrumbs.
- Bake until golden brown.
What do you serve it with?
Quite honestly, this is a delicious meal all by itself, or serve it up with some crusty bread or garlic bread for a real treat. You can of course serve it with a veggie side or a fresh salad to get some extra goodness into your day.
Is Chicken Mac and Cheese a make ahead recipe?
Yes, this baked chicken mac and cheese is a make ahead dish! You can make the casserole up ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap and then keep it in the fridge for a day or two until you are ready to bake it.
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days and reheated, covered with foil, at 350F for 20 minutes until warmed through. Take care to only reheat the chicken once.
What’s the best cut of chicken to use?
I like to use chicken tenders in this recipe, but you can also use chicken breast or thigh, just be aware that they will require a slightly longer cooking time. If you like, you can also stir in cooked shredded chicken into the mac and cheese.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If you prefer, you can use low fat cream and cheddar cheese.
- Make sure that the chicken is cooked through before stirring it into the mac and cheese.
- Bake the casserole in a fully preheated oven so that it cooks through evenly.
More Chicken Casseroles
- Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
- Chicken Tamale Casserole
- Green Chile Chicken Casserole
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Baked Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 10 chicken breast tenders cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
- 3 cups of pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 14 ounces boxed mac & cheese
- 1 ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
- 4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
- 8 ounces of mild cheddar cheese freshly grated
- Olive oil for cooking the chicken
Instructions
- Mix the pickle juice, brown sugar and black pepper together in a large bowl and add the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the meantime, make the mac and cheese according to the instructions on the box and mix in the butter, half of the cheddar cheese and cream cheese.
- Spray a baking sheet with butter spray and sprinkle the breadcrumbs out evenly over the pan, then spray the tops with more butter spray.
- Bake for 3 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs turn a golden color. Remove and set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add some olive oil.
- Drain the chicken from the marinade and add it to the pan and cook through.
- Remove the pan from the heat and drain off any excess liquid.
- Mix the chicken in with the mac and cheese.
- Spray a 9×13” casserole dish with non-stick spray and spread the mac and cheese mixture out evenly into the pan.
- Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining cheddar cheese and top with the toasted breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top turns a light golden color.
- Let cool for 10 minutes to allow all of the juices to settle a bit before servings with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and toasted bread.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can use low fat cream and cheddar cheese.
- Make sure that the chicken is cooked through before stirring it into the mac and cheese.
- Bake the casserole in a fully preheated oven so that it cooks through evenly.
Linda says
Hi, I love this recipe and will probably use rotisserie chicken in it. I am curious though, where would I get the 3 cups of pickle brine? Do you just save from leftover pickles or can you buy it by itself? Thanks for the great recipes!
Claudie says
You can buy pickle juice at many grocery stores or on Amazon. It is useful by many for muscle cramps too. I was told that it tenderizs many meats but not sure since I have used after knee replacement surgery since prone to leg camps and never got them.
Marla says
Not a pickle juice fan.
Becky Hardin says
I’m sorry you weren’t a fan, Maria! You can replace the pickle juice with vinegar or lemon juice.