Cranberry White Cheddar Chicken Pasta
Cranberry white cheddar chicken pasta put a seasonal spin on traditional macaroni and cheese with festive craisins and pecans. It’s an easy way to upgrade a classic into a flavorful meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights or cozy weekends during the holiday season.
Want to turn chicken pasta into something extra festive without a lot of work?
Serve this cranberry white cheddar chicken pasta and you’ll hear those sleigh bells ring.
Adding some dried cranberries and chopped pecans turns white cheddar mac and cheese into a magical holiday meal.
The magic?
To take it from everyday to holiday there’s really no extra work.
And you get a meal that’s hearty enough to serve as a complete dinner during the holidays or anytime you want to bring the flavors of the season to your table.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Rotini pasta– Cook it according to the directions on the package for al dente. You can sub a similarly sized pasta like penne or medium shells for this as well.
- Butter and flour– To form a roux to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Garlic– Minced.
- Milk– Go for whole milk. Skim or lower fat won’t thicken as well. You could also use half and half.
- Cream cheese– Softened to room temperature.
- White cheddar cheese– Shredded.
- Spices– Onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Dried cranberries– Craisins.
- Cooked chicken– Use leftover grilled or roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken. Dice it up.
- Pecans– Chopped.
- Chives– Chopped.
How to Make
This cranberry white cheddar chicken pasta is pretty easy to make.
Start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
Add the garlic to the melted butter and cook it for 30 seconds or just until it’s fragrant.
Whisk in the flour until it forms a golden paste, about a minute.
Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously.
Once the milk is incorporated and the mixture is smooth, stir in the cream cheese, white cheddar cheese, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Let it cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Then stir the cooked pasta, chicken, dried cranberries and pecans into the skillet until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.
Remove from heat and sprinkle the sliced chives over the top before serving.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Let the pasta cool to room temperature and then transfer it to an air tight container.
Refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove, stirring in more milk to loosen the sauce back up.
Tips and Tricks
- Rotisserie chicken is perfect for this.
- If you time it right, you can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking. I’d start the sauce as soon as you put the pasta in the boiling water.
- If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of milk before serving.
- Sharp white cheddar will give you the most flavorful sauce, but you can use mild white cheddar for less tang.
Other Seasonal Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Cranberry white cheddar chicken pasta is a seasonal twist on traditional macaroni and cheese the whole family will love.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other seasonal macaroni and cheese recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this CRANBERRY WHITE CHEDDAR CHICKEN PASTA or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cranberry White Cheddar Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups diced, cooked chicken
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.12 oz rotini pasta
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.2 tbsp of butter, 3 cloves garlic
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously until smooth.2 cups milk, 2 tbsp flour
- Add the cream cheese, white cheddar cheese, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.4 oz cream cheese, 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
- Add the cooked pasta, chicken, dried cranberries and pecans to the skillet. Stir until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.1 cup dried cranberries, 2 cups diced, cooked chicken, 1 cup chopped pecans
- Remove from heat and sprinkle the sliced chives over the top before serving.1/4 cup chopped chives
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken is perfect for this.
- If you time it right, you can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking. I'd start the sauce as soon as you put the pasta in the boiling water.
- If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of milk before serving.
- Sharp white cheddar will give you the most flavorful sauce, but you can use mild white cheddar for less tang.
Nutrition
