'Delicious' one pot chicken tikka mac and cheese perfect for a midweek meal

We’re officially in autumn which means it’s time for hearty cooking. When it comes to finding new inspiration to elevate your staple meals, all you have to do is combine two comfort food favourites.

Hollie Wood, recipe developer and cookbook author, has been sharing a plethora of recipes for her ‘Weeknight Wonders’. Last week Hollie shared a spin on the classic mac and cheese, infused it with a classic Friday night takeaway - a tikka masala.

Using the spices of the classic curry dish with added chicken (of course) to create a one pot meal to feed the entire family. Sharing her recipe to Instagram, the video has already been viewed over a massive 222,000 times.

Foodie fans were taken aback by Hollie’s creation, dubbing the unctuous dish a “beauty”. @therealkylerosales said: “An Indian take on a house favorite!”

@theclubb.hq wrote: “Got our dinner for Friday night all sorted!” @heidishelpfulhints agreed: “Ohhh yum!! Delicious combination,” while @laoisecooks commented, “Need this today!”

@sassentash wrote: “Made this tonight, it was so good! Whole fam liked it.”

So if you’re looking to shake up your typical midweek pasta night dish with an Indian-inspired twist, this is what you’ll need.

One pot chicken tikka mac and cheese

Ingredients (serves four)

• 500g chicken, diced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 tsp garlic puree - or 4 cloves
• 3 tbsp ginger puree
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 300g pasta
• 800ml to 1 litre chicken stock
• 300ml semi skimmed milk
• 120g cheese (can use a mix of extra mature cheddar, Red Leicester and Mozzarella)

Method

Fry the chicken in half of the spices until browned and cooked through, then remove it from the pan and put aside for now. Add in the onion and cook until soft, then add in the garlic, ginger and tomato puree.

Cook this for around 30 seconds and then add in the rest of the spices. Cook the spices out for a minute or so then add in the dried pasta.

Add in the stock and cook on a high heat until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked al dente, adding more stock if needed. Then add in the milk and turn the heat down.

Cook for a few minutes until it has thickened slightly and then add in the cheese. Stir until melted and you have a nice creamy sauce then add the chicken back on top.

Season to taste. Serve and enjoy.

If you want ideas and inspiration to plan your next UK adventure plus selected offers and competitions, sign up for our 2Chill weekly newsletter here