THU LUNCH · FROM THE VIDEO
BBQ Chicken Mac Box
- 25 min
- 8 min with Sunday prep
- 1–4 servings
- 520 kcal
- 41g protein
Creamy boxed mac and cheese gets folded with smoky shredded rotisserie chicken and a good glug of BBQ sauce for a lunch box that tastes like a backyard cookout. It reheats in two minutes flat and holds up well in the fridge, making it an easy midweek win. A sprinkle of extra cheddar on top melts in just before you dig in.
Adds this lunch's 4 groceries to your Walmart cart; you check out on Walmart. Part of Five work lunches from one Costco rotisserie chicken · send the whole week to Walmart.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 box (about 3 oz pasta + cheese packet)boxed mac and cheese
- 3/4 cupcooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 3 tbspBBQ sauce
- 2 tbspshredded cheddar cheese
From the pantry: milk or reserved pasta water, butter, salt, black pepper
Cookware
medium pot · colander · mixing bowl · meal-prep container
Directions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and cook the mac and cheese pasta according to the package directions, about 7 to 8 minutes; reserve a splash of pasta water before draining.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pot over low heat, then stir in the butter, milk (or reserved pasta water), and the cheese packet from the box until smooth and creamy.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted into the sauce.
- Fold in the shredded rotisserie chicken and BBQ sauce, stirring until the chicken is evenly coated and warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, tasting and adjusting the BBQ sauce if you like it saucier.
- Let the mac cool for 5 minutes, then pack it into a meal-prep container; if using Sunday's prepped chicken, simply fold one portion straight into the freshly made mac and cheese to save time.
- Store in the fridge and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, before eating.
Two tips
- Swap in leftover cooked rotini from Sunday's batch instead of boxed pasta if you want a lighter, less creamy version — just toss it with a little extra BBQ sauce and cheese.
- Make the whole batch on Sunday using the pre-shredded BBQ chicken pile so Thursday's lunch is just a reheat.
Packing
Pack the mac and chicken together in one airtight container since they're meant to be mixed; no need to keep components separate. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway, and eat warm — it doesn't work well cold.
Storage
Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Freezes for up to 1 month, though the sauce may separate slightly on reheating — stir in a splash of milk when warming to bring it back together.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 890 mg
The rest of the week
MonLemon Chicken Rice Box
Lemony rice, chicken and cucumber slices, with a squeeze more lemon at lunch.
chicken · rice · lemon · cucumber
~35g proteinFull recipe →
TuePesto Chicken Pasta Salad
Cold pasta, pesto chicken, halved tomatoes.
chicken · pasta · pesto · cherry tomatoes
~36g proteinFull recipe →
WedBuffalo Chicken Wrap Box
Buffalo chicken, shredded romaine and a drizzle of ranch in a tortilla; celery on the side.
chicken · buffalo sauce · tortilla · romaine · ranch
~38g proteinFull recipe →
FriChicken Quesadilla Box
Chicken and cheddar quesadilla wedges with salsa to dip.
chicken · tortilla · cheddar · salsa
~42g proteinFull recipe →
Recipe developed by MealPot for the “Five work lunches from one Costco rotisserie chicken” video. Nutrition is estimated from standard (USDA) data for the quantities above. Photo: MealPot, an AI-rendered illustration of the packed lunch.