Chipotle chicken mac & cheese

Macaroni cheese is, arguably, the ultimate comfort food. Stodgy, rich, buttery, golden and delicious. We added seasonal kalettes (nutty and sweet), tender free-range chicken and smoky chipotle paste, bringing a fiery depth of flavour to this traditional comfort food dish.

40 mins

4

Easy

• 1 packet Field & Flower skinless chicken breasts
• 190g Barber's Vintage Cheddar, grated
• 1 onion, diced
• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 pint semi-skimmed milk
• 3 heaped tsp chipotle paste
• 200g kalettes, roughly chopped
• 400g spirali pasta
• Black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the chicken breasts onto a non-stick tray and drizzle with a small amount of oil and some seasoning. Roast for 25-30 minutes until the juices run clear. Once cooked, let the chicken cool slightly and then roughly shred or dice the meat. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Fry the onion for 10 minutes until soft, then stir through the flour. Add a little of the milk and stir well until the sauce starts to thicken. Continue to gradually add the milk, stirring frequently until all of the milk is incorporated and the sauce has thickened (approximately 15 minutes). Season with black pepper and stir through the grated cheese and chipotle paste.

3. While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to packet instructions. In the final 4 minutes of cooking time add the kalettes to the pasta water. Once cooked, drain well and stir the pasta, cooked chicken and kalettes into the cheese sauce.