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One Pot White Chicken Chili Mac and Cheese: everyone’s favorite creamy chili made with pasta and extra cheese! It’s just the right amount of spicy saucy chicken chili meets creamy cheesy mac and cheese. It’s made entirely in one pot and comes together in less than an hour. Chili-seasoned chicken mixed with onions, peppers, salsa verde, and diced-up green chilies. Then add in a luscious cheesy mix of cream cheese, pepper jack, and white cheddar. Blend in elbow macaroni to create a delicious Chili Cheese Mac! It’s so simple and makes you want to say “YUM”!
There hadn’t been one day of sunshine or warmth this past week until yesterday (which was gorgeous!). We’ve had blustering snow, incredibly cold temperatures, and very winter-like weather. I can’t say I hate it, though, only because this is the one time of the year (November and December) when this kind of weather doesn’t upset me.
It’s cozy season, and I’m all about it!
My Creamy White Chicken Chili is one of my family’s top favorite cozy season dinners. It’s funny because it’s become one of our most popular recipes to date, but when I shared it, I thought for sure no one would enjoy a white chili.
But yet again, I was proven wrong! Turns out we all love a white chili!
The only thing that could make that bowl better? Adding pasta and creating a Chili Cheese Mac! Totally delicious.
Onto the Details
Ingredients
- butter
- onions
- chicken breasts
- garlic
- poblano peppers
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- chili powder
- broth
- cream cheese
- white beans
- salsa verde
- canned green chilies
- chilies
- melty cheese, cilantro, and greens onions
Special Tools!
None! Just a skillet with sides or an oven-safe pot that can go from the stovetop to the oven! Easy!
Step 1: start cooking the chicken
Add butter or olive oil to an oven-safe skillet with sides, then add the onions and chicken. Toss in the garlic, poblano, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and season everything with salt and pepper.
Cooking the chicken with the spices adds great flavor to the Chili Mac.
Step 2: add the broth
Now mix in some broth and let the chicken fully cook.
While the chicken is cooking, I like to shred the cheese and start prepping the toppings.
Step 3: shred the chicken
Pull the chicken out of the broth and shred it using forks or your hands.
Set the chicken aside.
Step 4: add the pasta
Next, add the pasta to the skillet along with 2 cups water. Let the pasta cook, then mix in the cream cheese, stirring until smooth.
Add the chicken back. Add the salsa verde, beans, green chilies, and half of the cheese.
Step 5: bake and serve
Top the skillet with the remaining cheese. Bake until it’s super melty, and the sauce is bubbling. It’s going to smell so good!
Pull the dish out of the oven and keep the toppings simple: just some cilantro and a few green onions.
To Serve
I love this with a salad, and because I knew my mom would enjoy it, I made some beer bread, too. You can never have too much beer bread in the fall and winter!
I love a simple November dinner when the days are busy and the nights are cold! Enjoy!
Looking for other fall dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas:
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Lastly, if you make this One Pot White Chicken Chili Mac and Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot White Chicken Chili Mac and Cheese
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 703 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- 4 cups broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 can white beans, drained
- 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilies
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 2 cups shredded melty cheese (colby, cheddar, pepper jack)
- green onions and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 2. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, add the butter, onions, and chicken and cook until fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, poblano peppers, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the broth. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked. 3. Pull the chicken out and shred using 2 forks. 4. To the pot, add the pasta and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring often. Stir in the cream cheese, shredded chicken, white beans, salsa verde, diced green chiles, and 1 cup cheese. Cook another few minutes until creamy. Remove from the heat and top with cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.5. Divide the pasta and sauce among bowls and top with green onions and cilantro. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on November 11, 2024
Hi !! Can you make a turkey, vegetarian or vegan version of this recipe ?
Hi Dessy,
I will add to my list!! You could totally make this vegetarian using all beans instead of the chicken. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I made this last night and the flavor was so delicious. The only thing is that there was alot of liquid and I don’t know what I did wrong. Is it supposed to have alot of liquid?
Hey Sonia,
Happy Tuesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback! I’m so glad it was enjoyed! Next time, you could cut down on the water amount. I hope this helps! xx
Had everything on hand and made this last night for dinner. The flavor was good but the two cups of water, plus 4 cups of broth was way too much liquid. It was like soup, if cooked any longer the pasta would have become mushy. I would suggest cutting down on either the water or the broth by at least a cup or maybe more.
Hi Paula,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. So sorry about the liquid amounts, please let me know if you try again using less! xx
Could this be made it an a slow cooker?
I love to have food ready when I get home from work:)
Made this for dinner last night – everyone loved it! Your white chicken chili was already one of our favorite recipes, so I knew this would be good. I only added a half cup of water, not the two cups mentioned in step 4 and it came out perfect. Thanks, Tieghan!
Thanks so much, Court! Love to hear that your family enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! xT
Great dish! Ended up cooking this last night for dinner. My family loved it. Like the other reviewer mentioned it being soupy, mine was as well. I just doubled the cheese and it was awesome. Will definitely make again.
Hi Kristen,
Awesome!! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed by your family! xx
Delicious recipe! Ours ended up being bit too watery, I think next time I would add a bit less water or cook for longer after adding all the cheese + others. Despite that the flavors were amazing!
Yay!! So glad to hear this, Maria! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment! xx
I made this tonight, and it was fantastic!! I was going to be gone until late afternoon, so I decided to put the ingredients in the crockpot and cooked it on low for 4 hours. When I got home, I made the pasta and combined it all together. Delicious meal, so good!!
Yay!! So glad to hear this, Elizabeth! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment! xx
Honest question: by continuing to use your chosen ad platform, are you reaping additional income in extra clicks/visits as the page constantly reloads and is interrupted, and jumps around from top to bottom? I feel like your community, which has been increasingly and regularly vocal about how disruptive all of the ads are, deserves some transparency about your refusal to take their constructive feedback into account. People visiting this site are trying to support you, I just don’t understand why you don’t seek solutions to these issues that have been clearly brought to your attention.
You have to understand that if you are not paying for the content (which none of us are because the website has free content), then the adds are making the income for HBH. Same with Youtube or any other service where you don’t pay for premium to not see adds. I personally have an add-blocker so that’s something to consider?
I agree with the poster. Very disruptive.. I really hesitate to visit because I know this will be a big problem.
This recipe sounds delicious. However, my husband does not like cream cheese. Is there something else that could be used in place of the cream cheese?
Hi Kim,
Thanks so much! Sure, you could use ricotta or sour cream, both of those would work for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This recipe sounds delicious but just want to confirm…this includes a total of 6 cups of liquid for only 20 minutes of stovetop cooking…is that a lot of fluid to absorb? or is this the intent…between the stovetop and 5 minutes in oven it will be okay?
Thanks so much!! Yes, that is correct:) The noodles are going to cook and absorb a lot of that liquid. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Read the other reviews. Pretty much everyone is saying it’s way too watery. Clearly this recipe wasn’t properly tested.
Could you use other types of pasta, such as rotini?
Hey Chelsy,
Totally, any short cut pasta that you enjoy will work well! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
If you were going to make this without the chicken – what would you change or add to substitute it? It looks amazing, but I’m a vegetarian.
Hi Kristen,
I might just do extra beans in place of the chicken, you could of course add any veggies to your liking. I hope this helps! xT
Please may we know where to access the short-cut pasta you use in the recipe? That pasta looks like it has an amazing mouthfeel‼️ I’d say using that special pasta makes all the difference‼️👏🏻👏🏻
Hi Linda,
It’s Delallo brand, Shellbows. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Monday! xT
I believe they are also commonly called pipette, if you are looking at other brands as well.
I am not a fan of beans. Do you think leaving them out would impact the recipe negatively?
Hi Kathleen,
No, I think that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx