Per serving (serves 4):
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- Calories: 920
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- Protein: 52g
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- Carbohydrates: 68g
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- Fat: 48g
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- Fiber: 6g
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- Vitamin C: 45% DV
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- Iron: 25% DV
Tips, Variations, or Cooking Advice
If you’re watching calories, try baked chicken breast instead of thighs, though you’ll sacrifice some of that juicy richness. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta and substitute cornstarch for the flour in the cheese sauce. I’ve done this for friends with celiac and nobody could tell the difference.
Don’t have smoked meat for the greens? Smoked paprika and a tablespoon of liquid smoke added to the broth creates that smoky depth. Vegetarians can skip the meat entirely and use vegetable broth with extra seasonings.
Make your own barbecue sauce by combining ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and your favorite spices. It takes 10 minutes and tastes better than most store-bought versions.
For meal prep, this platter is a dream. Make everything on Sunday and portion it into containers. The flavors actually improve after a day or two as everything melds together. You can also prep components separately. The mac and cheese freezes beautifully unbaked, the greens taste better the next day, and the chicken can be seasoned a day ahead.
If you’re cooking for a crowd, double everything except maybe cut back slightly on the cheese sauce ingredients. A full pound of cheese for mac and cheese serves a lot of people, and you don’t want it swimming in sauce.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake I see people make is overcooking the chicken until it’s dry. Use a meat thermometer and pull it when the thickest part reaches 165°F. Carryover cooking will take it the rest of the way.
Don’t add all your barbecue sauce at the beginning of baking. It’ll burn and turn bitter. Layer it on during the last 25 minutes for that perfect glaze.
With mac and cheese, many cooks panic and add more milk when the sauce seems thick. Remember it will loosen up when you add the pasta and then thicken again in the oven. Trust the process.
Not cooking collard greens long enough is another common error. They need at least an hour to become tender and develop that deep flavor. Quick-cooked greens taste grassy and tough.
Skipping the step of washing greens thoroughly leaves you with a gritty dish that’ll make your teeth hurt. Wash them twice, minimum.
Finally, don’t forget to season each component separately. The chicken needs its rub, the greens need salt at the end, and the mac and cheese needs seasoning in the sauce. Under-seasoning leaves you with a bland platter despite all your hard work.
