Creamy Mac n Cheese With Chicken and Baby Kale

Frozen butternut squash cubes add body and nutrients to this simple one-pot macaroni and cheese. We’ve added chicken breast and baby kale to make this a complete meal. Substitute spinach or chopped chard if you like. By using whole-wheat macaroni, you can boost the fiber by around 3 grams per serving. (1)

Active time: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Creamy Mac n Cheese With Chicken and Baby Kale

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb (454g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size strips
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups (473g) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup (237g) 2% milk
• 1 10 oz. (284g) package frozen butternut squash
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/4 cups (284g) whole-wheat elbow macaroni
• 3 cups (85g) baby kale
• 1 1/4 cups (113g) sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet set over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken. Season with the salt and pepper and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Add the onions, stir and continue to cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover.

Add the broth, milk, squash, mustard and bay leaf to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mash the squash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 6 minutes, stirring once. Fold in the chicken-onion mixture and kale with a rubber spatula, cover and cook until the kale has wilted, 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir the cheese and nutritional yeast into the pasta. Serve immediately.

Serves: 6 | Serving size: 1 cup

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 382; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g ; Cholesterol: 23mg; Sodium: 364mg; Carbohydrate: 42g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 34g

Originally published November 20, 2018; Updated February 2026

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