Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese

This Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese seems complicated, but it’s really a pretty quick pasta recipe that can be on the table in just 30 minutes!

Love all things marsala? Try our ULTIMATE CHICKEN MARSALA recipe, we make it once a week! Or try this SKILLET BEEF MARSALA and another pasta dinner favorite, this CHICKEN MARSALA FETTUCCINI ALFREDO!

Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese recipe in a bowl

A Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

There’s two basic macaroni and cheese cooking methods. Stove top and oven baked. I prefer a stove top mac and cheese recipe like this Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese because I feel like it produces a creamier macaroni and cheese.

And if you’re making this mac and cheese recipe for a holiday or dinner party, it’s one less thing that will take up space in your oven.

This recipe starts of with a basic cheese sauce that consists of butter, flour, milk and cheese – and then gets a few add ins like mushrooms, chicken and marsala wine.

Should I Buy Dry Or Sweet Marsala Wine?

Honestly, I use both or whatever I have on hand. The general rule is that a sweet marsala wine is better for desserts like tiramisu, for example.

The the dry marsala wines are used for savory dishes like this one or the ever popular chicken marsala. Some people do like to sip on marsala wine as a dessert wine but I use it only for cooking.

What you need to do in either case is buy good marsala wine from a liquor store and not fake cooking wine from the grocery store.

Because there is a BIG difference in flavor and quality, I promise you. So if you’re going to all the trouble to make a dinner recipe, grab a 10 dollar bottle of marsala wine.

Another reason you want a good quality marsala wine is that once you brown the mushrooms, the marsala wine goes in the pot to get all the flavors from the bottom and reduce. Reducing wine or any liquid concentrates the flavor so you need to make sure that flavor is good in the first place!

mushrooms cooking for macaroni and cheese recipe

Once the marsala wine reduces, add the milk, seasonings and marsala wine. Bring to a simmer and then start adding these cheese…my favorite part.

Whisk until the cheese is totally melted and the sauce is smooth, then it’s time to stir in the cooked pasta and bacon. My other favorite part.

adding pasta to chicken marsala mac and cheese recipe

Best Cheese For This Chicken Marsala Macaroni and Cheese?

I love a classic sharp cheddar cheese but you can use any good melting cheese! Mozzarella is perfect, but too mild in flavor to be used on it’s own, so I like to combine it with other cheeses like in this mac and cheese recipe here.

Some other cheese ideas are:

  • MONTEREY JACK
  • COLBY
  • MUNSTER
  • SWISS
  • ANY CHEDDAR CHEESE
  • GOUDA
  • ASIAGO OR PARMESAN CHEESE
  • CREAM CHEESE OR MASCARPONE CHEESE (NOT ON IT’S OWN)

Play around with your favorite cheeses and see which combination you like the best!

This Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese will kick that boxed stuff to the curb!

Why We Love Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

Honestly, I used to walk right by those rotisserie chickens at the grocery store.

For some reason they just didn’t appeal to me, I guess I thought of them as just a chicken dinner. Like take that rotisserie chicken, put it on a platter and carve it up.

That wouldn’t even be enough for my family of four, especially with two growing boys at the table. BUT what I didn’t realize is that basically a rotisserie chicken is tender, juicy chicken just waiting to be used in a chicken recipe like this Caramelized Onion Chicken Salad and SO many different recipes.

Quesadillas, anyone?

Our boys eat chicken quesadillas all the time. Like all the time, so have shredded cooked chicken on hand makes putting them together so easy, it’s almost a no brainer.

Now I hardly ever walk by those rotisserie chickens…in fact I’m smarter now and grab two.

chicken-marsala-mac-cheese-hero

Looking For More Pasta Recipes?

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Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese

  • Author: Dan
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 Servings 1x

This decadent twist on mac and cheese will be a hit with the whole family! Grab a rotisserie chicken from the store to make this cheesy dinner even quicker!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
  • 1 lb. pipette or elbow macaroni, or any short-tube pasta you like
  • 10 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c. onion, chopped
  • 1/2 t. garlic powder
  • 3 1/2 c. whole milk
  • 1/3 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. marsala wine plus 2 T., separated
  • 4 oz. pancetta, diced and cooked until crispy and drained of any grease
  • 2 cups white cheddar, grated
  • 2 cups gruyere cheese, grated
  • 4 T. butter
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 T. fresh thyme, stemmed and chopped
  • 1 t. dijon mustard
  • 1 t. worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Start a large pot of water to boil and cook your pasta for 8 minutes, just a little under cooked.
  2. Drain the pasta and set aside.
  3. In a large pot, melt the butter and add the sliced mushrooms.
  4. Cook for 7-8 minutes, then add the onion and garlic.
  5. Add the flour to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes until he flour has cooked out.
  6. Pour in the marsala wine and scrape up the browned parts on the bottom of the pan.
  7. Add in the milk, whisking while pouring.
  8. Whisk the mixture well and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
  9. Next add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard, worcestershire sauce and fresh thyme.
  10. Add the cheese to the pot by handfuls, stirring after each time to make sure the cheese is blended into the sauce well.
  11. Next start adding in the shredded chicken and your cooked pasta.
  12. Pour in the 2 extra tablespoons of marsala and stir once more.
  13. Stir until the chicken and pasta are well incorporated into the sauce and then top with the crispy pancetta.
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

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11 Responses
  1. Amelia

    Hi Dan,
    Thank you for posting your recipe, just thought I’d leave you some feedback since you worked so hard on posting the recipe.

    I tried it out tonight as a meatless and slightly “healthier” version (only 1 cup of grated cheese vs. 4 cups, and soy milk instead of whole). It wasn’t bad, although still closer to marsala gravy than cheese sauce…and the thyme reminds me too much of chicken… Next time I will try it with tarragon and small red-skinned potatoes instead of pasta…anyway, I hope you weren’t offended by my riffs on your recipe, and maybe they will inspire another dish for you…Thanks!

    1. Dan

      Hi Amanda- not offended at all! Never was this meal intended as a healthy recipe in any way – but if you’d like to try and make it that way then you should!

    1. Dan

      Thanks for stopping by Jesse! “Blackjack” for the Chicken Marsala and “Luckiest Guy” for the Mac and Cheese.

      1. Jesse

        Thank You! I’m a hobby graphic designer, fan of many things design. It was great font choices/pairing for the chicken marsala photo. Have a good day. :)

      2. Dan

        No problem – my wife helps me with the font choices, she worked as a graphic designer for 15 years, she loves fonts too!

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