Kansas-style BBQ Chicken & Mac 'N' Cheese inspired by Home Alone (1990)

By Gousto

Home Alone (1990), Macaulay Culkin eats his perfect macaroni cheese. (1 hour, 15 mins 42 seconds)

Treat your taste buds to Kansas-style BBQ chicken and decadent mac ‘n’ cheese that would be right up Kevin McAllister’s street. Load up your mac with cheddar and soft cheese and dive in. What a meal.

Ingredients

For 2 people [double for 4]

1 garlic clove
120g cheddar cheese
50g soft cheese
20g mustard ketchup
2 British chicken breast portions
10ml tomato ketchup
16g tomato paste
15g pomegranate molasses
2 tsp ground smoked paprika
100g macaroni
1 gem lettuce

You’ll also need

Butter, flour, olive oil, pepper, salt, vegetable oil, brown sugar

Cooking instructions 35 mins

For 2 people [double for 4]

Step 1

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air. Boil a full kettle and grate the cheddar cheese. Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C (fan) / gas 7. Add the macaroni to a pot of boiled water with a drizzle of olive oil and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the macaroni for 7-8 min or until cooked with a slight bite. Once cooked, drain the macaroni and save 120ml [150ml] starchy pasta water (save the pot for later).

Step 3

Meanwhile, combine the chopped garlic, ground smoked paprika, tomato ketchup, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and half of the mustard ketchup with 1 tsp [2 tsp] brown sugar. Add 25ml [50ml] cold water and give everything a good mix up – this is your Kansas-style BBQ sauce.

Step 4

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken breast portions with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once hot, add them to the pan and cook for 4 min on each side or until lightly browned.

Step 5

While the chicken is browning, return the reserved pot to a medium heat with a knob of butter and 1/2 tbsp [1 tbsp] flour and cook for 1 min or until you have a sandy paste. Add the soft cheese, remaining mustard ketchup, drained macaroni and most of the grated cheddar cheese (save enough for the topping). Add the starchy pasta water, give everything a good mix up and season with a pinch of salt and pepper – this is your cheesy macaroni.

Step 6

Transfer the cheesy macaroni to an oven-proof dish (use individual ones for fancy presentation!) and top with the remaining grated cheddar. Put the dish in the oven and cook for 15 min or until bubbling and golden – this is the mac ‘n’ cheese.

Note: The cheese sauce will thicken in the oven!

Step 7

Add the Kansas-style BBQ sauce to the pan with the browned chicken, give everything a good mix up and increase the heat to high. Cook for 1-2 min or until the sauce has thickened to a jam like consistency. Transfer the Kansas-style BBQ chicken to a baking tray lined with tin foil, layer any remaining sauce over the chicken and put it in the oven for 10-12 min until cooked through (no pink meat!)

Step 8

Once done, slice the Kansas-style BBQ chicken on a clean chopping board. Wash the gem lettuce, then pat it dry with kitchen paper and chop into wedges. Serve the sliced Kansas-style BBQ chicken with the daddy mac ‘n’ cheese and gem wedges to the side. Add a little drizzle of olive oil and a crack of black pepper to the gem wedges and enjoy!

Nutritional and allergen information

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