4 Cheese Mac and Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken

November. Thanksgiving is coming, and for the second year in a row, everything is different. Last year was the first without Earl. This year is the first in a pandemic. I am collecting firsts like a woman collects scars — not by choice, not with pride, but with the understanding that survival marks you and the marks are evidence that you lived.

The church Thanksgiving dinner is not happening. The fellowship hall is closed. The 160 people who came last year will eat at their own tables this year — some alone, some with small families, some at shelters that are trying to feed people while keeping them alive in more ways than one. I called Pastor Williams and I said, "Pastor, I want to cook. Not for the church — I know we can't gather. But for the people who need it. The ones who don't have a table." He said, "How many can you feed?" I said, "How many do you need?"

Twenty. He gave me twenty names. Twenty people — elderly, alone, homebound, the ones the church usually feeds at the Thanksgiving dinner. I am going to cook Thanksgiving dinner for twenty people and deliver it to twenty porches, and it will take me three days and every inch of my kitchen, and I will do it because this is what I was put on earth to do, and a virus doesn't change your purpose. It changes your delivery method.

I started planning. Turkey — two of them, because twenty people can't share one bird. Dressing — Mama's, double batch. Greens. Mac and cheese. Sweet potato pie — four of them. Rolls — I'll make Deacon Harris's recipe, because the man shared it with me last year when he thought the world was ending, and it turns out his secret ingredient is honey and faith. Twenty aluminum pans, labeled, sealed, delivered. That's the plan.

Made red beans and rice. Monday. The tradition. Ate it at the table and started my shopping list. Twenty dinners. Twenty porches. Twenty doorbells. Bring it on.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Mac and cheese was always going on those twenty aluminum pans — that was never a question. What Earl always said was, if you’re going to do something, do it all the way, and four cheeses felt like the right way to say you are worth the good stuff to twenty people who hadn’t been able to get out and gather. The honey pepper chicken on top was my own addition this year, because Deacon Harris’s honey had me thinking sweet and heat and something that feels like being alive, and that’s exactly what I wanted every single one of those twenty neighbors to taste when they opened their door.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
1 cup Gruyere cheese, freshly shredded
1 cup fontina cheese, freshly shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Honey Pepper Chicken:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
Build the cheese sauce. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes until the roux turns pale golden. Slowly pour in the warm milk and heavy cream, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Melt in the cheeses. Reduce heat to low. Add the cheddar, Gruyere, fontina, and Parmesan in three additions, stirring after each until fully melted and smooth. Stir in the mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Combine pasta and sauce. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until every piece is well coated. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish (or divide between aluminum pans if feeding a crowd).
Bake the mac and cheese. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is bubbling and beginning to turn golden at the edges. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
Make the honey pepper chicken. While the mac and cheese bakes, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Pour the honey pepper sauce over the chicken and toss to coat, cooking another 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce glazes the chicken and caramelizes slightly.
Top and serve. Arrange the honey pepper chicken strips over the baked mac and cheese. Drizzle any remaining pan sauce over the top. Serve immediately, or seal tightly in aluminum pans for transport.

Nutrition (per serving)

4 Cheese Mac and Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken — Twenty Aluminum Pans, Twenty Porches, Twenty Blessings