Although nothing beats kicking back by the grill on a lazy Sunday, sometimes you just wanna get your barbecue fix pronto—which is why we came up with this quick and easy stovetop chicken breast recipe. It comes with green beans, an easy-peasy mac ’n’ cheese, and a sauce inspired by the tart and spicy flavors of North Carolina’s signature ’cue sauce. All it takes to prepare is a little bit of elbow grease and a few stirs, meaning it’s ready in less time than it takes to oil the grates and fire up the charcoal.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
12 ounce
Chicken Breasts
1 unit
Chili Pepper
¼ ounce
Chives
4 ounce
Gemelli Pasta
(Contains Wheat)
6 ounce
Green Beans
½ cup
Cheddar Cheese
(Contains Milk)
1 ounce
Cream Cheese
(Contains Milk)
2 ounce
BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoon
White Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon
Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place chicken on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy-bottomed pan until ½ inch thick.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook until no longer pink in center, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove pan from heat. Meanwhile, mince chili. Finely mince chives until you have 1 TBSP.
Once water is boiling, add 4 oz gemelli (about ⅔ of the package) to pot and cook, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes, add green beans to same pot and continue cooking until tender, about 4 minutes longer.
Once green beans are tender, remove from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate to dry. Season with salt and pepper. Drain gemelli, then return to empty pot off heat.
Add cheddar cheese, 1 TBSP water, 1 TBSP butter, cream cheese, chives, and a pinch of chili (to taste) to pot with gemelli. Stir until a creamy, thick sauce has formed. Season with salt and pepper.
Add barbecue sauce, vinegar, and as much chili as you like to pan with chicken. Return to stove over low heat and toss until chicken is coated in a sticky sauce. Divide between plates and serve with mac ’n’ cheese and green beans on the side.