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Shredded BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese

  • Preparation

    40 minutes

  • Cook

    15-20 minutes

  • Serves

    6-8

  • Chef

    Chef Jeffery Smith Jr.

Ingredients

  • Shredded BBQ Chicken:
  • 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp The MVP
  • 1.5 tsp Midnight Smoke (crush mustard seeds in spice grinder)
  • 1.5 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock
  • Mac & Cheese:
  • 16 oz elbow macaroni or cavatappi
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3.25 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1.25 tsp black pepper
  • 1.25 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3/4 tsp Midnight Smoke (crush mustard seeds)
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 8 oz smoked gouda, shredded
  • 5 oz cream cheese

Preparation

  • Toss chicken with oil, MVP, and Midnight Smoke.
  • Grill chicken 6–7 minutes per side.
  • Add stock, cover, steam-finish 10–15 minutes.
  • Shred warm.
  • Mac & Cheese: Cook pasta; drain.
  • Make roux with butter + flour.
  • Stir in milk + cream until thickened.
  • Add seasonings and cheeses.
  • Fold in pasta and shredded chicken.
  • Bake at 375°F for 15–20 minutes.
View Video
Credit: Justin Jones

Chef Jeffery Smith Jr.

Chef Jeffery Smith Jr. is a culinary professional, celebrity private chef, and caterer based in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Jeffery has always had a love for a variety of cuisines. He is an HBCU alum and member of the Theta Tau of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. He received his B.S. in Mass Communications and minor in Psychology from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS.

A change of career brought Jeffery to Los Angeles in 2009 and on a journey that would ultimately lead to the kitchen. A lack of formal culinary training did not stop Jeffery from learning techniques around the kitchen beginning with preparing meals for holidays and brunches turning into requests on a larger scale. Jeffery has traveled to 35 countries experiencing the food of many different cultures, picking up a few skills along the way and launched Best Kept Secrets Intl., LLC in 2019. Jeffery also continues to cook for celebrity clients, executives, caters private events and operates his macaroni and cheese store, Best Kept Secrets Intl., which is located on the Doordash platform in Los Angeles, CA.

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