Well, we did it. We survived the busiest summer ever: I got A’s in all of my night classes (even math!), went on vacation, got engaged, got the flu, and only cooked twice in more than a month. Now that the fall semester has begun and our schedule has evened out, I’ll hopefully have dozens of new recipes to post in the coming months. My goal from now until December is to cook something at least twice a week, but we’ll see how that goes. Anyway, on to the mac and cheese.

This recipe makes four servings.

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
4 cups chicken stock
16 oz (1lb) penne pasta, dried
8 oz (about 1 block) cream cheese
¼ cup greek yogurt
¾ cup buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded colby jack cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Directions:

Coat chicken thighs with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
Add stock and pasta to your Instant Pot, taking care to spread the pasta into an even layer.
Slice cream cheese into cubes and add on top of pasta. Do not stir.
Lay seasoned chicken thighs in an even layer on top of the cream cheese and cover with buffalo sauce. Again, do not stir.
Close and seal your Instant Pot, and set to Manual for 10 minutes. Quick release pressure when your pasta has finished cooking.
Remove chicken thighs to a plate and shred gently with two forks.
Return shredded chicken to the Instant Pot and stir in with greek yogurt and shredded cheese, ensuring everything is smooth and combined.
Serve with additional paprika, hot sauce, and shredded cheese as desired. Enjoy!

This recipe reheats well in the microwave, and is hearty enough to keep you full for an entire afternoon. I would recommend bringing a ziplock bag of baby carrots or celery with you as a side dish, though–just to round out your lunch!

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