Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. It’s there to cheer you up on a gloomy day and a fantastic way to celebrate your wins. And now, with just a few additional ingredients, you can have a real party for your senses. This delicious butter chicken mac and cheese recipe is both kid-friendly and gourmet — perfect for everyone at home!

A Creamy, Crunchy Spin on the Classic Dish

Chef Gaurav Anand, who came up with this recipe, has a simple rule: keep it simple. He loves combining the healthy with the delicious, especially when it comes to his kids. His butter chicken mac and cheese recipe offers a clever way to mix the classic ingredients with a few healthy touches for a creamy, crunchy Indian-inspired spin on the popular dish.

Butter Chicken Mac and Cheese: The Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 box elbow pasta, cooked per instructions (keep in mind it will cook more in the oven later)
• 10-12 oz chicken breast, cubed
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese
• 1 and ½ cup milk
• ½ cup butter chicken sauce (recipe below)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Coriander leaves, to garnish (optional)
• Breadcrumbs for topping

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grab a large skillet and melt the butter. Then, add the chicken and cook for a few minutes. Remove from the pan. Add the onion and cook for two minutes, until translucent. Carefully stir in the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk to avoid clumps. Then, whisk in the butter chicken sauce, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella.

Once the cheese melts nicely into the mixture, stir in the boiled pasta and the chicken. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and some more cheese on top, and put the skillet in the oven for about 15 minutes. Garnish with coriander, and enjoy your mouth-watering butter chicken mac and cheese.

How to Make the Butter Chicken Sauce

Ingredients

• Whole spice mix: 1 bay leaf, 4 green cardamom pods, a few black cardamom pods, 3 dried red chilies
• 9 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3 large onions, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup fresh cream
• 8-10 fresh green chilies
• 3 ½ tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 4 teaspoons Amul butter or oil
• 4 teaspoons ghee
• 2 teaspoons kitchen king spice blend
• 1 teaspoon jeera powder (Red chili powder)
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander

Directions

Heat the Amul butter or oil in a pan. Add the whole spices mix and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook until golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 20 minutes.

Add the remaining spices, ghee, and salt to taste. Transfer the mix to a blender and blend for a few minutes. Then, strain the sauce into a pan. Cook the strained mixture over medium heat and add the heavy cream and butter. Stir well and let it cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Garnish with fresh coriander or add to your butter chicken mac and cheese. Enjoy!

‘Tis the season to be jolly, which means it’s the perfect time to try a more festive and fun hairstyle for the celebrations ahead. With braided hairdos getting a modern, cool-girl renaissance, it’s only right to bring back the iconic and incredibly adorable bow tie braid!

Introducing: The Bow Tie Braid

Unlike its predecessors, the bow tie braid leans more into the glam garden party aesthetic. Think cottagecore, but instead of using a bow made from fabric, you’re making one out of your own hair. It’s a perfectly versatile look that you can pull off for a date night, a casual Friday at the office, and a holiday party. Loose and carefree, or tight and put-together, the bow tie braid is just the sweetest holiday hairstyle.

The best part? This hairdo is super easy to create, which makes it a great substitute if you’re tired of the plain old ponytail or messy bun. The bow tie braid can make you look a lot more elegant and put-together while taking pretty much the same effort that a messy bun would. No wonder the bow braid is back in fashion! It’s been trending on TikTok with more than 5.6 billion views!

Make This Whimsical Braid at Home

Suitable for any weather and pretty much any hair type, the bow tie braid is fairly simple to make. All you’ll need are hair ties, a hair brush, and a few bobby pins. To make the bow, start by collecting a section of your hair and pulling it into a pony. Leave a loop of your hair out on the last pull-through. Split the loop in half and use bobby pins to set the bow sections to your head. Then, wrap a small piece of hair around the center of the bow to complete the look.

If you want to take things up a notch, you can finish off your bow tie braid with a fish braid underneath the bow. Of course, you can choose any other braided hairstyle to combine your bow braid with. It’s up to you!