Creamy Chicken and Corn Mac Freezer Meal Prep
Creamy chicken, cheesy macaroni and sweet corn all in one bowl is pure comfort food, and every part of it can be made days or even weeks ahead.
Seasoned chicken is cooked until golden, then folded into a silky white cheese sauce. The same sauce coats a pot of elbow macaroni, and a batch of buttery sweet corn rounds out the meal.
Freeze each part in its own block and a hot, creamy dinner is just three blocks, a few minutes of heat and a quick stir away.
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Freeze time | 4 to 6 hours (hands-off) |
| Reheat time | 6 to 8 minutes in the microwave, straight from frozen |
| Makes | About 4 portions |
| Keeps | Up to 3 months in the freezer |
Why Sweet Corn Is Worth It Here
Corn brings little bursts of sweetness that cut through the rich cheese sauce, so every spoonful tastes lighter than a plain mac and cheese.
It also adds color and a gentle pop of texture next to the soft pasta and tender chicken. Frozen corn works perfectly here and saves you any shucking.
Best of all, corn freezes beautifully. It holds its shape and sweetness through freezing and reheating, so it tastes just as good on day 60 as on day one.
Why Freeze Each Part Separately
Freezing the chicken, the mac and the corn in their own blocks keeps each one at its best. The corn stays bright and sweet instead of soaking up sauce, and the macaroni is cooked just short of done so it finishes softening as it reheats.
Separate blocks also make portions easy. Pop one of each into a dish for a balanced meal, or double up on chicken when you need something heartier.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or white cheddar
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 2 cups frozen sweet corn
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste and to finish
You will also need a skillet, a medium pot, a whisk, a silicone freezer mold with 1-cup compartments, and a zip-top freezer bag to store the blocks once they are frozen.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Corn Mac
Part 1: Make The Components
1. Season And Cook The Chicken
Toss the sliced chicken with a pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, the garlic powder, the Italian herbs and the red pepper flakes, if using. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through.
Slicing the chicken first means it cooks quickly and evenly, and each piece reheats without drying out.
2. Make The Cream Sauce
Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, which takes away the raw flour taste.
Slowly whisk in the milk, then the heavy cream. Keep whisking for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Melt In The Cheese
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until it melts into a silky sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Adding the cheese off the heat keeps it smooth instead of stringy or grainy.
4. Cook The Macaroni
Cook the elbow macaroni in well-salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package says, so it is just al dente. Drain it and stir it into half of the cheese sauce.
Slightly underdone pasta finishes cooking when you reheat it, so it never turns mushy.
5. Stir The Chicken Into The Sauce
Fold the cooked chicken through the rest of the cheese sauce until every piece is coated.
6. Cook The Corn
Cook the frozen corn in a little boiling water or in a skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, until hot and tender. Drain it well and season with a little salt and pepper.
Part 2: Freeze
7. Cool And Portion Into Molds
Let everything cool to room temperature. Spoon the creamy chicken, the mac and the corn into separate compartments of a silicone freezer mold and freeze until solid.
Cooling first stops ice crystals from forming, which keeps the cheese sauce creamy when it thaws.
8. Pop Out The Blocks And Bag Them
Once frozen, flex the mold and pop the blocks out. Store them in a labeled zip-top freezer bag so your mold is free for the next batch.
These are the 1-cup silicone freezer molds I use to portion every component. Get the freezer molds on Amazon.
How to Reheat and Finish
9. Add The Chicken Block To Your Dish
Take one chicken block from the freezer and set it at one end of a microwave-safe or oven-safe dish.
10. Add The Mac Block
Nestle a macaroni block right next to the chicken.
11. Add The Corn Block
Fill the last space with a corn block. Keeping the three blocks side by side helps them heat evenly.
12. Heat Until Piping Hot
Cover the dish loosely and microwave for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring gently halfway through, until everything is piping hot all the way through. You can also bake it covered at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
If the mac looks a little thick, a splash of milk loosens the sauce right back up.
13. Finish With Cracked Black Pepper
Crack plenty of fresh black pepper over the top. It adds a little warmth that brightens the creamy sauce.
14. Stir It All Together
Stir the chicken, macaroni and corn together until everything is coated in the creamy sauce, then dig in.
Storage and Variations
The blocks keep for up to three months in the freezer, so write the date on the bag. Once a portion has been reheated, eat it rather than refreezing it, and keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.
For extra veggies, add a block of steamed broccoli or peas. Crispy bacon bits, a sprinkle of smoked paprika or a handful of shredded cheddar on top are all great additions too.
