The funny thing about Brenna is that she seems to have a psychic gift of knowing when I am going to walk through the door with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. She’s there to meet me every time, with a crazed look on her little face; and she doesn’t leave my side until all of that chicken is off of the bone and put away. This recipe is a great way to make a quick homemade mac & cheese that is unique, and uses whatever pasta you have handy in your pantry. I used Mrs. Miller’s All Natural Old Fashioned Pot Pie Noodles, but Rigatoni, Campanelle, Gemelli, or even elbow macaroni would all work just as well in this recipe. (This chart is a quick reference to virtually every type of pasta.) One large suggestion before you think about making this recipe. Either bake this in a large Dutch oven, or separate the pasta mixture between two baking dishes, before placing it in the oven. I used a 9×13 glass baking dish, which allowed the cheese mixture to boil over after 15 minutes of being in the oven. There was a lot of smoke and a lot of noise from the smoke alarm; it even managed to bring B.O.B. Bob running from the garden to see what was going on. If you do divide this between baking dishes, you will want a little bit of extra shredded cheese to sprinkle on top before baking. I used Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar for it’s intense tangy and nutty flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken; Deboned, Skinned, and Roughly Chopped
• 1 (16oz.) Bag or Box of Pasta
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 1/2 Cups Milk
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 Cup Apple Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 Sweet Onion, Finely Diced
• 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 8-oz. Sharp White Cheddar, Shredded
• 8-oz. Gouda, Shredded (Reserve 1/2 Cup for Topping)
• 1 Fuji Apple, Cored and Finely Diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to the package’s directions. When the pasta is done, drain well and mix in the olive oil, which will prevent it from sticking.
3. While the water is boiling, heat the milk, cream, and apple butter over medium heat, in a large saucepan. Stir frequently; making sure it does not come to a boil.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pan, over medium heat.
5. Add the diced onions to the melted butter, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add flour to the onions, cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Add the hot milk mixture to the onions, cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Remove the Dutch oven or pan from heat, and stir in nutmeg, pepper, salt, and cinnamon.
9. Add cheeses, and mix well.
10. Add chopped chicken and diced apples, and mix well.
11. Pour mixture into baking dishes if not using a Dutch oven.
12. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
13. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, uncovered, until the top turns a golden brown.
14. Allow to cool 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Suggestions:

• Make sure you don’t overfill your baking dish or pan before placing it in the oven. I ended up with the smoke alarm going off for a half an hour, smoke rolling out of my oven, and Brenna hiding in fear somewhere upstairs!
• Sprinkle finely chopped scallions, chives, or parsley on top before serving.
• Play around with different types of cheeses, such as Swiss, Gruyere, or Edam.
• Don’t forget to save the wishbone, and try not to run it down the disposal like I did.
• Boil the leftover chicken bones and skin in water to make a broth for later use. Place all bones and skin in a large pot. Cover chicken with water by two to three inches. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove bones, then strain liquid through a fine mesh colander. Refrigerate or freeze broth in an airtight container for later use.

Improvements:

• Top with crumbled bacon.
• Pork, turkey, or chicken sausage would all be great in this dish, if you chose to omit the rotisserie chicken.

Print

Yum

Apple Butter Mac and Cheese with Rotisserie Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken; Deboned, Skinned, and Roughly Chopped
• 1 (16oz.) Bag or Box of Pasta
• 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 1/2 Cups Milk
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 Cup Apple Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 Sweet Onion, Finely Diced
• 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 8-oz. Sharp White Cheddar, Shredded
• 8-oz. Gouda, Shredded (Reserve 1/2 Cup for Topping)
• 1 Fuji Apple, Cored and Finely Diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to the package's directions. When the pasta is done, drain well and mix in the olive oil, which will prevent it from sticking.
3. While the water is boiling, heat the milk, cream, and apple butter over medium heat, in a large saucepan. Stir frequently; making sure it does not come to a boil.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pan, over medium heat.
5. Add the diced onions to the melted butter, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add flour to the onions, cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Add the hot milk mixture to the onions, cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Remove the Dutch oven or pan from heat, and stir in nutmeg, pepper, salt, and cinnamon.
9. Add cheeses, and mix well.
10. Add chopped chicken and diced apples, and mix well.
11. Pour mixture into baking dishes if not using a Dutch oven.
12. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
13. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, uncovered, until the top turns a golden brown.
14. Allow to cool 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

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ORIGINALLY POSTED 11/04/2013