What did you do last night?
After a long day of work and cleaning that left me exhausted and grumbling through dinner, we watched Walk the Line. It’s one of my all-time favorite films, and my husband loves it too — he’s a huge Johnny Cash fan.
Confession: when the movie first came out I was obsessed with the soundtrack and listened to the actors’ versions nonstop. I preferred Joaquin and Reese’s performances to the originals because I didn’t know much about the real artists back then. I was young, naive, and admittedly had questionable taste in music. That phase almost derailed our engagement — not proud of it, but it’s true.
People still tease me about my taste in music. For example, when my cousin mentioned she was seeing My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, I stared like she’d grown extra heads. I don’t always know bands with unusual names — I’ll admit it.
But enough about my musical blind spots. Let’s talk food.
This recipe is inspired by a favorite — buffalo chicken baked pasta — but skips the oven entirely. I was lazy and hungry and didn’t want to wait for baking, so I made a stovetop version that’s fast, cheesy, and saucy. Who has the patience to preheat an oven when dinner is calling?
I’ll be honest: I didn’t serve this as the only protein on our table — my husband insisted on turkey burgers too — but I happily ate a full plate of the shells and cheese myself, followed by a little chocolate and peanut butter for dessert. It’s exactly the kind of comfort food that helps you get through a busy week.
Stovetop BBQ Chicken Shells and Cheese
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 4 cups whole wheat pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 4 ounces white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces gouda cheese, freshly grated
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- Crumbled bacon for topping
Instructions
- Toss the cubed chicken with 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and set aside.
- Heat a large, deep pot over medium-low. Add olive oil and butter, then add the sliced onion with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions caramelize. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the shells for about 5 minutes; they’ll finish cooking in the cheese sauce. Drain and set aside if they finish early.
- Increase the heat to medium under the onions and sprinkle in the flour, whisking constantly to form a roux. Cook about 5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook another 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the grated cheeses and mustard until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooked shells to the cheese sauce and toss to coat. Fold in the BBQ-coated chicken and drizzle the remaining BBQ sauce over the top. Serve immediately, garnished with green onions, crumbled bacon, parsley, and cilantro. Add extra sauce if desired.
Notes
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Green stuff = health food. Work it.