Description
High Protein Honey BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese is a creamy, smoky-sweet 40-minute dinner made with tender chicken breast, sticky honey BBQ sauce, protein-packed cheese sauce, and pasta. Each serving delivers about 642 calories and 58.5g of protein, making it a satisfying comfort-food meal for weeknights or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cheese Sauce:
- 150 g fat-free cottage cheese
- 200 g light cream cheese
- 150 g 30% reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- 150 ml semi-skimmed milk or 2% milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard
- For the Chicken:
- 400 g chicken breasts, diced
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 70 g reduced BBQ sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- For the Pasta:
- 300 g pasta
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C or 350°F if using the air fryer method.
- Season the diced chicken breast with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket lightly with low-calorie cooking spray, add the chicken, and cook for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway through, until fully cooked and golden.
- For the pan option, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, spray lightly with low-calorie cooking spray, and cook the seasoned chicken for 6–8 minutes until fully cooked and browned.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl, then toss it with honey and reduced BBQ sauce until evenly coated.
- Return the coated chicken to heat for 1–2 minutes to slightly caramelize the honey BBQ sauce.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Before draining, reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- In a blender, combine cottage cheese, light cream cheese, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, milk, garlic powder, parsley, black pepper, paprika, salt, and mustard.
- Blend the cheese sauce until completely smooth and creamy.
- Pour the blended cheese sauce into a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth and thickened.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until every piece is evenly coated.
- Add more reserved pasta water if needed to reach your desired creamy consistency.
- Let the mac and cheese sit for 10 minutes so the flavors meld and the sauce thickens.
- Serve the cheesy pasta in bowls, top each portion with honey BBQ chicken, and garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
- Use medium-low heat when warming the cheese sauce to keep it smooth and creamy.
- Blend the cottage cheese sauce fully before heating to avoid a grainy texture.
- Reserve pasta water before draining because it helps loosen the sauce while keeping it creamy.
- Do not add the honey BBQ sauce before the chicken is fully cooked because the honey can burn over high heat.
- Let the finished mac and cheese rest for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and coats the pasta better.
- Add broccoli, spinach, or bell peppers for extra fiber, color, and nutrients.
- Add chilli flakes or hot sauce to the BBQ chicken for a spicy version.
- Swap chicken for turkey or a plant-based protein if desired, but nutrition values may change.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- Reheat gently with a splash of milk or water to bring the sauce back to a creamy texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer / Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl, 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 642 kcal
- Sugar: Estimated 17g
- Sodium: Estimated 950mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: Estimated 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: Estimated 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 75.3g
- Fiber: Estimated 3g
- Protein: 58.5g
- Cholesterol: Estimated 155mg