Lighter Chicken Macaroni Casserole Recipes

LIGHTER CHICKEN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• Combine chicken breasts and chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 minutes. Turn breasts, cover, and simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit with the cover on for 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken breasts from the broth and set aside to cool, reserving the broth in the saucepan. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size slices.
• Return the chicken broth to medium heat and cook until reduced to 1 cup.
• Stir garlic, black pepper, and heavy cream into the reduced broth; bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
• Whisk egg yolks in a bowl until smooth. Beat 1 tablespoon of the warm cream mixture into the eggs until thoroughly incorporated; repeat until about 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture is used.
• Whisk the warm cream and egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture almost comes to a simmer and thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until nearly cooked through, about 7 minutes. Drain.
• Stir parsley, 1 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and cream mixture into the pasta. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for a few minutes until thick.
• Fold chicken and 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano into the pasta mixture to serve.

CHICKEN-MACARONI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over med-high heat, saute onions in butter until onions are tender.
• Add in soup and 1 ½ cups cheese; gradually stir in milk.
• Cook over medium heat until cheese melts; stir in chicken and macaroni; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Transfer mixture to a greased 2 ½ quart casserole; sprinkle with cracker crumbs.
• Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
• Top with remaining ½ cup cheese and bake 5 minutes.

LIGHTER MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread tomatoes in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle each sheet with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes have softened, about 20 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
• Process bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining tablespoon oil in amedium skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook pasta until almost al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
• Whisk 1/2 cup stock into the flour in a medium bowl; set aside. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add milk and remaining 1 1/2 cups stock. Whisk in flour mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes, whisking frequently. Add cheeses; cook, stirring, until melted. Pour over macaroni, stirring to combine.
• Put eight 4 1/2-by-1 1/4-inch ramekins on a baking sheet. Put 2 tomato slices in bottom of each ramekin. Divide macaroni mixture evenly among ramekins. Top each with a tomato slice. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and thyme sprigs. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

LIGHT CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk together first five ingredients. Stir in broccoli, chicken, onion and 1/4 cup cheese. Transfer to a greased 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining cheese., Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

EASY CHICKEN AND MACARONI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Enjoy.

ONE-DISH CHICKEN MACARONI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish. When the water is boiling, add the elbow macaroni and cook until very al dente, several minutes shy of the package cooking time. Drain, rinse and pat dry, then put in a large bowl.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have given up their liquid. Increase the heat to boil away any excess liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions, thyme and garlic and cook until the scallions are wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until just absorbed. Pour in the chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and has lost the raw flour taste, about 7 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas and carrots, and parsley and simmer just to heat the chicken through. Off the heat, whisk in the cream cheese until smooth.
• Pour the chicken and sauce into the bowl with the macaroni and toss well. Spread in the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, toss together the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the baking dish. Dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces. Bake until the casserole is very bubbly and the top is crispy and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

LIGHTER CHICKEN MACARONI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook macaroni in salted boiling water until al dente, drain and place in casserole.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, add 1 ounce of the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thouroughly.
• Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted and crisp.