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Glass meal prep containers with mac and cheese on a blue background with one dish on a wooden board.
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5 from 5 votes

Nando’s Mac and Cheese Recipe (Peri Peri)

This homemade version of Nandos mac and cheese is flavor-packed, creamy, and spicy. It’s the perfect fakeaway option for a comforting meal!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: mains
Cuisine: Portuguese
Servings: 5
Calories: 603kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £2.12

Ingredients

  • 600 g chicken breast, sliced into thin chunks (£4.00)
  • 500 g spirali (£0.75)
  • 700 ml skimmed milk (£0.69)
  • 250 g smokey grated cheese mix (£2.50)
  • 3-4 tbsp hot peri peri sauce (£1.00)
  • 3 mixed peppers, thinly sliced (£1.69)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil +some oil spray
Metric - US Standard

Instructions

  • Add a few sprays of oil to a non-stick pan over a high heat. Add the chicken and peppers into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and fry over a high heat for around 7 minutes.
  • Set aside, then reduce the heat to low. Add the olive oil and flour to the pan and cook for around 3 minutes. Next, slowly add a splash of milk whilst whisking vigorously. Continue to slowly add whilst whisking to ensure that you don’t get a lumpy roux.
  • Once the milk is fully incorporated, add your spirali to heavily salted water. Set your timer to the packet time minus 1 minute.
  • When the roux has thickened slightly, add 200g of the grated cheese mix, onion and garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then stir the peri peri sauce into the pan.
  • Transfer the al dente pasta into the pan, along with the chicken and pepper. Stir until well combined and loosen with a few ladles of pasta water.
  • Divide into 5 oven-safe meal prep containers and add the remaining cheese as a topping.
  • When you’re ready to eat, place under the grill for 6-8 minutes and enjoy once heated through and bubbly.

Notes

  • Add warm milk when making this recipe, as it helps prevent clumps in the sauce. It also helps shorten the time it takes to thicken the sauce since the milk is already warm/hot.
  • Be sure to add milk slowly. This step ensures you have a velvety smooth sauce instead of a lumpy one.
  •  Add the cheese off the heat as it becomes stringy if on too higher heat.


Nutrition

Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 23g