This is not subtle food. This is crispy Nashville hot chicken piled onto creamy mac and cheese, covered in extra cheese, drizzled with hot sauce, and served in a box that weighs roughly the same as a small house brick. Spicy. Cheesy. Crunchy. Completely outrageous. Exactly what a fakeaway should be.
You’ll Need
500g chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks, 250g cooked macaroni
80g plain flour, 40g cornflour, 2 eggs, beaten, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, Oil spray
Nashville Hot Seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp brown sugar
Mac & Cheese Sauce
25g butter, 25g plain flour, 300ml milk, 150g grated cheddar, 50g mozzarella
1 tsp mustard, Salt and black pepper
To Finish
Spring onions, sliced, Extra hot sauce
Optional but Dangerous
Pickles
Jalapeños, Crispy onions
Extra cheese
Method
Preheat your air fryer to 200°C.
Mix together the flour, cornflour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Dip the chicken into the beaten egg.
Coat thoroughly in the flour mixture.
Lightly spray the basket with oil.
Place the chicken into the basket in a single layer and spray the tops lightly with oil.
Air fry at 200°C for 12–15 minutes, shaking halfway, until deeply golden and crispy.
Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously.
Add the cheddar, mozzarella, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Cook until smooth and creamy.
Stir through the cooked macaroni.
Mix together all the Nashville hot seasoning ingredients.
Once the chicken is cooked, toss immediately through the Nashville seasoning while still hot.
Fill serving boxes with the mac and cheese.
Pile the Nashville hot chicken over the top.
Finish with spring onions and extra hot sauce.
Serve immediately while molten, spicy, and completely unreasonable.