Baked Pesto Chicken Mac & Cheese (Printable)

Creamy three-cheese macaroni with seasoned pesto chicken and crispy golden topping

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz elbow macaroni

→ Chicken

02 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
06 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Pesto

07 - 1/2 cup basil pesto

→ Cheese Sauce

08 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
10 - 3 cups whole milk
11 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
14 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Topping

16 - 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
17 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
18 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How to Cook:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
03 - While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces, season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Cook until golden and cooked through, approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with basil pesto.
04 - In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk while whisking continuously until the sauce thickens, approximately 4-5 minutes.
05 - Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in mozzarella, Parmesan, cheddar, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - In a large mixing bowl, gently combine cooked macaroni, cheese sauce, and pesto chicken until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
07 - In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Sprinkle mixture evenly over casserole.
08 - Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top.
09 - Allow casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving to set the structure.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pesto cuts through all that richness with bright, herbaceous flavor that keeps you coming back for more.
  • You can have dinner on the table in under an hour, and it tastes like you actually spent the whole evening cooking.
  • It feeds a crowd without making you feel like a short-order cook.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting step at the end—I learned this the hard way when my casserole fell apart into a puddle on the plate, and it taught me that patience in cooking pays off in presentation.
  • If your cream sauce looks grainy or separated, it usually means the heat was too high; low and slow is the key to creamy, not broken.
03 -
  • Don't walk away from the cream sauce while it's cooking; stirring constantly prevents lumps and ensures even thickening, which makes the difference between silky and grainy.
  • The panko topping absorbs oil and gets soggy if sitting around, so mix it just before sprinkling—this keeps it crispy in the oven.
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