BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese

Name: BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs; 2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika; 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder; 2 Tbsp Onion Powder; 1.5 Tbsp Kosher Salt; 1 Tbsp Black Pepper; 1.5 Cups BBQ Sauce; 1.5 Lb Dry Elbow Macaroni; 8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter; 8 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour; 4 Cups Whole Milk; 16 Oz Sharp Cheddar, Shredded; 8 Oz Mozzarella, Shredded; 0.8 Cup Crispy Fried Onions; 2 bunches Green Onions, Sliced

Shredded BBQ chicken baked into creamy mac — hall comfort tray

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 65 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: easy

Shredded BBQ chicken folded into a creamy cheddar-and-mozzarella béchamel mac, then baked with a BBQ-sauce glaze that caramelizes on top. Quick shredded thighs, not an eight-hour shoulder — a hall comfort tray for a hungry shift. Sized for a full crew, with timing that still works when the kitchen gets interrupted.

1386Cal

83gProtein

106gCarbs

68gFat

Ingredients

4 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Onion Powder
1.5 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1.5 Cups BBQ Sauce
1.5 Lb Dry Elbow Macaroni
8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
8 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
4 Cups Whole Milk
16 Oz Sharp Cheddar, Shredded
8 Oz Mozzarella, Shredded
0.8 Cup Crispy Fried Onions
2 bunches Green Onions, Sliced

Instructions

Season the chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry. Mix smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper; coat all sides. Let sit 10 minutes while the kitchen preheats to 375°F — seasoned chicken browns better than wet, pale thighs.
Cook chicken until shreddable: Arrange thighs on a rimmed sheet tray. Bake at 375°F 28–35 minutes until the thickest piece reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer and juices run clear. Visual cue: edges start to caramelize and the meat springs back when pressed.
Shred and sauce the chicken: Rest chicken 8 minutes, then shred with two forks — you want pulled strands, not cubes. Toss with about 1 cup of the BBQ sauce until glossy (reserve the rest for drizzling later). This is BBQ chicken mac — quick shredded thighs, not an eight-hour shoulder project.
Par-cook the macaroni: Boil elbow macaroni in well-salted water 2 minutes shy of al dente (about 6–7 minutes for standard elbows). Drain thoroughly — wet pasta makes a soupy bake.
Build the cheese sauce: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 1 minute until it smells nutty. Whisk in milk in steady streams until smooth. Simmer 3–4 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Off heat, stir in cheddar and mozzarella until melted. The sauce should look like thick nacho cheese, not runny milk.
Fold mac and BBQ chicken together: Fold drained mac into cheese sauce, then fold in shredded BBQ chicken in wide streaks so orange cheese and sauced chicken both show — do not mash into one uniform color. Taste for salt; BBQ sauce varies in sodium.
Pan up for the crew: Butter two full-size hotel pans or one deep half-pan for eight firefighters. Spread mac mixture evenly. Drizzle remaining BBQ sauce in thin ribbons across the top so it caramelizes in the oven. Scatter extra cheddar and mozzarella on top for a cheese pull.
Bake until bubbling with cheese pull: Bake uncovered at 375°F 20–25 minutes until edges bubble, top is deep golden, and a spoon lift shows stretchy cheese. Visual cue: BBQ sauce edges look tacky and mahogany, not pale pink. If the top browns before the center is hot, tent foil and continue baking until the center probes 165°F.
Hold through call interruptions: If tones drop mid-service, cover the tray with vented foil and hold at 200°F up to 45 minutes. Note hold time on the pan. Before serving, loosen tight mac with a splash of milk stirred into the corner — held mac sets like concrete.
Serve and garnish: Rest 5 minutes so scoops hold together. Portion about 1.5 cups mac and cheese plus a generous scoop of BBQ chicken per firefighter (~6 oz cooked chicken each). Top with crispy fried onions and green onions at the line, not baked in. Serve with a spatula from the hotel pan — hearty, not eating-contest piles.

Tonight's spread

Main: BBQ chicken mac and cheese from the hotel pan
Sides: extra warmed BBQ sauce, crispy fried onions, sliced green onions
Condiments: splash of milk at the line if the mac tightened on hold
Set hot components closest to the crew; cold crunch and toppings at the far end of the line.
Keep a backup tray at 200°F for firefighters returning from a run.

Hall tips

Shred chicken while hot — it mixes into the mac easier.
Rest the tray before serving so the cheese sets for clean scoops.
Target about 6 oz cooked shredded chicken and 1.5 cups mac per firefighter — scale the tray for eight, not twelve.
Use thighs, not breast-only — thighs stay juicy after shredding and survive hold time on the line better than dry breast chunks.
Toss shredded chicken with BBQ sauce before folding into mac — you want visible sauced chicken strands, not white chicken lost in orange cheese.
Stop baking when the edges bubble and the center probes 165°F — overbaked mac separates into greasy pools.
If tones drop mid-bake, note the time on the pan with a grease pencil and finish when you return; covered trays hold 15 minutes without drying out.

Substitutions

Chicken thighs ↔ breasts (thighs forgive overcooking on the flat-top).

Leftovers

Cool in shallow hotel pan lids within two hours — deep mac stays in the danger zone too long to cool safely.
Reheat covered at 325°F until the center hits 165°F, then uncover 5 minutes to re-crisp the top; stir once halfway so chicken heats evenly.
Add a splash of milk and a spoon of BBQ sauce when reheating — refrigerated mac tightens and the sauce looks dull without refresh.
Store crispy fried onions separately — add after reheat so the tray does not go soggy on shift two.

Large sheet trays
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil