Honey BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
with Mac 'n' Cheese & Roasted Green Beans
- Milk
- Wheat
Get backyard BBQ vibes any time of year with this Black History Month-inspired meal. Harissa-spiced shredded chicken is tossed with honey BBQ sauce and loaded into toasted brioche buns. Served alongside are roasted green beans and a decadent baked mac ‘n’ cheese with a crunchy, cheesy panko topping.
Ingredients
6 ounce
Green Beans
½ cup
BBQ Sauce
2 teaspoon
Honey
½ cup
White Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
½ cup
Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 tablespoon
Fry Seasoning
6 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
2 unit
Brioche Buns
(Contains: Wheat)
2 slice
Gouda Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 tablespoon
Harissa Powder
10 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Oil
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust racks to middle and top positions and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. • Trim green beans if necessary. • Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
• While pasta cooks, pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with half the harissa powder (all for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. • Transfer chicken to a medium bowl; let rest at least 3 minutes. (You’ll finish the chicken in the next step.)
• While chicken rests, in a second medium bowl, combine BBQ sauce, honey, and 1⁄4 cup plain water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings). Heat pan used for chicken over low heat. Add sauce mixture; bring to a simmer, then cover. • Transfer chicken (and any juices) to bowl used for sauce. Using two forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces. • Increase heat under pan with sauce to medium low. Transfer chicken to pan; stir to evenly coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 8-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place gouda in a large bowl, tear into small pieces. Add white cheddar cheese, cream sauce base, half the Fry Seasoning, 1⁄4 cup reserved pasta cooking water, 1 tsp salt, and pepper (1⁄2 cup pasta cooking water and 2 tsp salt for 4 servings); stir to combine. • In a third medium bowl, combine panko, yellow cheddar cheese, remaining Fry Seasoning, and a drizzle of oil.
• In an 8-by-8-inch baking dish (9-by-13- inch baking dish for 4 servings), combine drained cavatappi, cheese sauce, and 2 TBSP butter. Top with panko mixture. Bake on middle rack until topping is browned and sauce is bubbling, 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss green beans on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 8-10 minutes. • Halve and toast buns.
• Fill buns with saucy chicken. • Divide sandwiches, green beans, and mac ’n’ cheese between plates and serve.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The mac 'n' cheese is the undisputed star — rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying 🧀. The honey BBQ chicken is well-liked, though some found the sauce a touch too sweet or the harissa seasoning an unexpected pairing.
- Ease of prep: This meal has more steps than most and dirties quite a few bowls and pans, so set aside extra time; the payoff in flavor makes it worth the effort for many.
- Suggestions: Add more cream sauce base or an extra splash of pasta water if the mac 'n' cheese seems dry, and hold back on the full teaspoon of salt — several reviewers found it too salty as written. For the chicken, shredding is easier if you let it rest a few extra minutes; some preferred baking it instead of pan-searing for juicier results. Add coleslaw or pickles to the sandwich for a welcome crunch and contrast.
- Leftovers: The mac 'n' cheese makes generous portions — expect enough for a full second meal, and it reheats well the next day.
Reviews from our home cooks
Fabulous meal! Everything tasted amazing. However, it took me longer to shred the cooked chicken than anticipated, so the macaroni and green beans got a bit cold. I would recommend cooking the chicken first, then preparing the macaroni and green beans. The chicken could be shredded while the macaroni cooks. Overall, though, we loved (and I mean loved) the BBQ sandwiches with Mac & cheese as a side.
This macaroni & cheese is especially delicious. I love the crunch topping and the cheeses selected are wonderful! It went really well with the BBQ chicken sandwiches. Very moist and tasty. We continue to love the roasted veggies.
So freaking good! Love when HF does foods from different cultures, countries etc! The Mac and cheese was so creamy, gooey and crispy with lots of flavor and the pulled chicken sandwich was bomb! Yum!
The pulled chicken sandwich was really good and really easy to make! I made a change. Instead of frying the chicken in a frying pan, I baked it in the oven. Easier and no extra fat. I didn't make the mac and cheese yet, as it seemed like it was an entire meal on its own. I will make it later this week.
Mac n cheese and bbq chicken were excellent! However, green beans were dry. Cooked as directions instructed. Next time I would do them in the skillet instead of the oven.
I love the Mac and cheese and bbq chicken!! So good! And so much!! I wish the buns were bigger and maybe a little more green beans but other than that, will def get again!
The Mac and cheese was delicious!! The green beans are great in every recipe. I wish the sauce for the chicken was a little bit better, but overall it's a yummy meal. Would definitely get again!
The spices make this more delicious than your average BBQ sauce. Mac and cheese was rich and flavorful. Comfort food elevated!
So delicious, the Mac and cheese and pulled chicken sandwich is delicious, but this shouldn't be a "premium" meal! Also, the green beans were inedible, I think they were really snap peas as the beans inside were ok, but I couldn't eat the outer part.
Very tasty. A delicious but not very healthy splurge. The bun very good. Mac & cheese was A LOT of work but good and a nice change. Green beans were "aah, ok" nothing special.
