Chicken, Macaroni, and Cheese

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Multigrain pasta, spinach, and reduced-fat cheese provide a beneficial boost to this one-dish meal.

Chicken, Macaroni, and Cheese
Photo: Andy Lyons
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
5

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup packaged dried multigrain or regular elbow macaroni (6 ounces)

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 12 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion

  • 1 6.5 ounce package light semisoft cheese with garlic and herb

  • 1 ⅔ cup fat-free milk

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • ¾ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (3 ounces)

  • 2 cup packaged fresh baby spinach

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan cook macaroni according to package directions, except do not add any salt to the water; drain.

  2. Meanwhile, coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion to skillet. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender, stirring frequently. (If onion browns too quickly, reduce heat to medium.) Remove skillet from heat. Stir in semisoft cheese until melted.

  3. In a medium bowl whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Add all at once to chicken mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Add cooked macaroni; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in spinach and top with cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

369 Calories
12g Fat
33g Carbs
33g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 5
Calories 369
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 85mg 28%
Sodium 393mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 9.4mg 47%
Calcium 403.9mg 31%
Iron 2.2mg 12%
Potassium 494mg 11%
Folate, total 112.9mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.9mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.5mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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