Mac and Cheese with Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 250 g Pasta
• 1 cup Gruyère cheese (Grated)
• 100 g Sharp cheddar cheese (Grated)
• 150 g Mozzarella cheese (Shredded)
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Flour (For the cheese sauce)
• 200 ml Whole milk
• 200 ml Cream
• Nutmeg (A pinch)
• 1 tbsp CHIN-SU hot sauce (For the cheese sauce)
• 1 tsp Chicken bouillon powder
• 0.5 tsp Smoked paprika (For the cheese sauce)
• 0.5 tsp Garlic powder (For the cheese sauce)
• Salt (To taste; also for the salted pasta water and chicken)
• Black pepper (To taste; for the mac and cheese and chicken)
• 350 g Chicken tenders
• 70 g Plain flour (½ cup plus 1 tbsp, for coating)
• 2 Eggs (Beaten, for coating)
• 150 g Cornflakes (Crushed)
• 0.5 tsp Garlic powder (For seasoning the chicken)
• 1.5 tsp Smoked paprika (For seasoning the chicken)
• 1 tsp Paprika (For seasoning the chicken)
• Cooking oil (For seasoning the chicken and frying; amount not stated)
• 6 tbsp CHIN-SU hot sauce (For the hot honey sauce)
• 4 tbsp Honey
• 3 tbsp Fresh lime juice (Source gives a range of 3–4 tbsp)
• 1 tsp CHIN-SU fish sauce
• Fresh parsley (For finishing; amount not stated)
• Side vegetable or salad (Suggested accompaniment; unspecified)

Steps

1. 1

   Cook the pasta al dente in salted water. Drain it and set it aside.

2. 2

   In a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour to make a smooth roux.

3. 3

   Slowly pour in the milk and cream while whisking until the sauce is smooth.

4. 4

   Add the nutmeg, hot sauce, chicken bouillon powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine.

5. 5

   Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Gruyère, half of the cheddar, and half of the mozzarella until melted into the sauce.

6. 6

   Mix the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and layer the remaining cheddar and mozzarella over it.

7. 7

   Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10–12 minutes, then grill/broil for 1–2 minutes until golden and bubbling.

8. 8

   Season the chicken tenders with cooking oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and paprika.

9. 9

   Set out the plain flour, beaten eggs, and crushed cornflakes in separate dishes. Coat each chicken tender in flour, then egg, then cornflakes. Let the coated tenders rest for 5–10 minutes.

10. 10

    Heat frying oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry the tenders for about 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden, crispy, and cooked through.

11. 11

    Combine the hot sauce, honey, lime juice, and fish sauce in a saucepan. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes, until glossy.

12. 12

    Toss the freshly fried chicken in the hot honey sauce. Serve immediately over the mac and cheese, finish with fresh parsley, and serve with a side vegetable or salad.

Notes

The source says 3–4 people; 4 servings is used here. Chicken seasoning includes oil, but no amount is specified. Serve with a side vegetable or salad; the source does not specify which. The source does not quantify salt or black pepper. The stated lime juice amount is 3–4 tbsp; 3 tbsp is used as the scalable quantity with the range retained in the note.

Nutrition per serving

• dinner
• main
• comfort food
• baked
• fried
• spicy
• chicken
• cheesy