Mac ‘n’ Peas
This is an old French recipe called Macaroni a la Reine – “Macaroni for the Queen.” Since I’m the Queen around here, I proclaim this to be the tastiest dish ever.
A white mac ‘n’ cheese, studded with bits of rotisserie chicken and lovely peas that pop in your mouth. The perfect dinner. So says me, the Queen.
ingredients:
1 package (approx 14 oz) macaroni
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
nutmeg
3/4 cup Swiss Cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
2 cups roast chicken, cooked
1 cup peas
salt
pepper
You know those rotisserie chickens that you can buy at Costco or your local market? They are easy to cut up and keep in the freezer, perfect for meals like this.
Boil the pasta according to the package. Drain – do not rinse! Set aside.
In a large pot melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook down for about 2-3 minutes, then add the milk and the heavy cream.
Whisk continuously. Add the Swiss and the Parm cheeses and whisk until melted. The Swiss makes this a little stringy – I love the chees-i-ness of it. Simmer 5-8 minutes and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Stir in the pasta, roast chicken and peas. Toss until combined and season with salt and pepper.
This is a hearty meal all by itself!
Growing up, my mom made this with canned tuna instead of chicken [usually on Friday nights]. When I became vegetarian as an adult, I simply left the meat out altogether and made it with just macaroni and peas. Now I want to go make some…
Wow – I love those glasses! Do you know where they can be purchased? The macaroni looks delicious.
This looks great! I am not a huge fan of swiss cheese though. In your opinion, should I keep it swiss or can I substitute some mild cheddar?
Love your site!
A nice to twist to a favorite dish, a staple in my family. I might try to sneak in some peas today- thanks for the inspiration!
This was SO comforting. I wanted to eat the whole thing by myself!