Chicken Noodle Mac n Cheese Soup
Chicken Noodle Mac n Cheese Soup is like a cozy blanket on a cold day. Loaded with chicken, carrots, noodles and a cheesy broth, this family friendly meal is a must try this winter.
Equipment
- 1 large pot or Dutch oven
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 cheese grater
Ingredients
- 2 T butter
- .5 c onion diced
- 1 c carrots thinkly sliced into coins
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 T flour
- 6 c chicken broth
- .5 c half and half
- 1 T Better than Bouillon Chicken Knorr Homestyle Stock gel tubs (not bouillon cubes) or Better the Bouillon Chicken both work
- 2 oz parmesan cheese wedge (not pre-shredded)
- 2 oz cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
- 8 oz small shell pasta
- 2.5 c chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 1 T lemon juice
- .5 t salt
- .25 t pepper
- .5 c reserved pasta water
Instructions
- You will need approx 2.5 cups of cooked and shredded chicken for this recipe. Check out my favorite method here or get a rotisserie chicken and shred it to save time.
- In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook 8oz of small shell noodles. Before draining, reserve 1/2c of the pasta water. Drain noodles and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 2T butter over medium heat, and add 1/2c of chopped onion and 1c thinly sliced carrots. Cook until soft.
- Stir in 4 cloves of garlic (minced) and then quickly whisk in 3T of flour.
- Pour in 6 c chicken broth, the Knorr Homestyle Stock or 1 T of the Better the Bouillon Chicken (whichever one you are using), and 1/2 c of half and half.
- Cut the rind off the wedge of parmesan cheese and discard. Roughly chop 2oz of the cheese into chunks or strips. Its ok to have it in larger pieces vs shredded as this will allow it to melt slowly into the soup as it simmers.
- Add the parmesan cheese to the pot as well as the shredded chicken 1/2t salt and 1/4t pepper and bring to a simmer stirring frequently for 5-7 mins.
- Shred 2oz of cheddar cheese. Its very important that you DO NOT use pre-shredded cheese as it has a coating on it to prevent clumping. That coating will prevent your cheese from melting properly, and will cause soup to be grainy.
- Turn burner to low heat. Stir in 2oz of freshly shredded cheddar. Once mixed, add in 1T lemon juice, the pasta shells and the reserved cooked pasta water. Give everything a good stir to combine.
- Scoop into individual bowls and serve topped with additional shredded cheddar cheese as a garnish (optional).
Notes
This soup makes 6 servings.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in fridge for up to 4 days.
The noodles may have soaked up some of the broth if you eating this soup as leftovers. Simply add in some extra chicken broth and some additional parmesan cheese. This will add more liquid back into the soup while maintaining the rich, cheesy flavor.
TIP: There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, so I recommend chopping the veggies, mincing the garlic, shredding the cheese, etc ahead of time to get yourself organized before you turn on the burner. I like to lay everything out on the counter in the order that I need it, so I an easily grab it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 32gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 1382mgPotassium: 423mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3938IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 242mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!