One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It’s macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch.

One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It's macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch.

I’m throwing another quick and easy one pot meal your way. ย Hope you don’t mind!

I would probably consider this a more grown up macaroni and cheese because it has a bit more going on than just cheese and pasta. ย First, I decided to add in some chicken to make it more of a meal. ย Then I spiced it up with various spices, green chilies and salsa. ย So, the heat of this dish is coming from what kind of salsa you choose.

Only one of my kids didn’t really care for this version of macaroni and cheese. ย She said it was too spicy, but to her– ketchup is too spicy.

One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It's macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch. One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It's macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch.

You can customize this dish to your liking by changing the heat of your salsa, changing the type of cheese, and piling on your choice of toppings. ย We like tomatoes, cilantro, salsa (some of us) and a dollop of sour cream. ย If you would like to make this a spicier dish, use some pepper jack cheese in place of some of the cheddar, add in some chopped jalapenos and use a hot salsa.

One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It's macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch. One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It's macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch.

Well, I’m keeping this post short and sweet this morning. ย We have a lot of unfinished projects that need tending to, so I better get to moving! ๐Ÿ™‚ ย Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!!

One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It's macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch.
Servings: 6 -8
Author: Countryside Cravings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 small to medium sized boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1/2 of a bell pepper
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni or you can use shell pasta
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 4 oz can green chilies
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened and cut into small chunks
  • Toppings of choice

Instructions

  • In a large 12" skillet brown the chicken, onion, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add in the pasta, milk, broth, salsa, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses until melted. Top with desired toppings.
Did you make this?Let me know by sharing a picture and tagging @countryside_cravings on Instagram

One Pot Southwestern Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is a quick, easy and super delicious meal! It's macaroni and cheese kicked up a notch.

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