Comfort Food design inspiration
Sticky glazed chicken wings with baked macaroni cheese: one tray, 50 minutes, and a dinner that tastes like a Sunday at home.
Sticky wings and baked macaroni cheese in the same meal is not a gimmick. It is a tray of chicken with a honey-soy glaze sitting next to a dish of pasta that comes out of the oven bubbling at the edges, and both are done in under an hour.
The trick is timing. Wings need 35 minutes in a 400F (200C) oven. Macaroni needs 25. So the pasta goes in second, and the wings get glazed and broiled while the cheese sets.
You need one sheet pan and one baking dish. That is the whole setup.
About the Ingredients
3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
Pat them very dry before seasoning, or the skin steams instead of browning. If you only find whole wings, ask the butcher to split them, or do it yourself at the joint.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Any neutral oil works here. Avocado oil handles the high broiler heat a little better if you have it.
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Kosher salt flakes are bigger than table salt, so use half the amount if you only have table salt.
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Sweet paprika works too, but you lose the smoky note. Do not use hot paprika unless you want real heat.
1/2 cup (120 ml) honey
Runny honey pours and coats better than the thick set kind. Maple syrup is a fine swap and tastes less sweet.
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
Low-sodium soy sauce keeps the glaze from getting too salty. Tamari works for a gluten-free version.
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the closest everyday substitute. Lemon juice works in a pinch.
2 cloves garlic, grated
A microplane gives you a paste that disappears into the glaze. Jarred garlic is fine, use one teaspoon.
12 ounces (340 g) elbow macaroni
Cook it two minutes short of the package time. Any short pasta shape works, but elbows hold the sauce best.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salted butter is fine, just cut the salt in the sauce by a quarter teaspoon.
1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
This thickens the milk into a sauce. Gluten-free all-purpose blend works if you need it.
3 cups (720 ml) whole milk
Whole milk gives you the creamiest sauce. Two percent works, but the sauce will be thinner.
3 cups (340 g) shredded cheese, a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzarella
Shred it yourself from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch and melts grainy.
1/2 cup (50 g) panko breadcrumbs
Panko gives you a crunch on top. Crushed cornflakes or regular breadcrumbs also work.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Set the oven to 400F (200C). Line a sheet pan with foil and put a rack on top.
2. Dry and season the wings
Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Toss with oil, salt, and smoked paprika until every piece is coated.
3. Roast the wings
Arrange the wings skin side up on the rack. Roast 30 minutes, until the skin is golden and the thickest part reads 165F (74C).
4. Boil the macaroni
While the wings roast, boil the macaroni in salted water for two minutes less than the package says. Drain and set aside.
5. Make the cheese sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook one minute. Add the milk in a slow stream, whisking, and cook 4 minutes until it coats a spoon.
6. Add the cheese
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the shredded cheese a handful at a time until smooth, then fold in the macaroni.
7. Bake the macaroni
Pour the macaroni into a buttered 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Top with panko and bake 20 minutes, until the edges bubble.
8. Glaze and broil the wings
Stir the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic together. Brush it over the wings and broil 3 to 4 minutes, until the glaze bubbles and darkens at the edges.
Delicious Variations
Buffalo switch
swap the honey-soy glaze for equal parts melted butter and hot sauce, then broil the same way.
Bacon macaroni
fold four slices of cooked, crumbled bacon into the cheese sauce before baking.
Spicy honey wings
add one teaspoon of chili flakes to the glaze and skip the smoked paprika on the wings.
How to Store Comfort Food design inspiration
Refrigerator
Keep the wings and macaroni in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. The wings stay crisper apart from the pasta.
Freezer
Freeze the baked macaroni in portions for up to 3 months. Freeze the wings on a tray first, then bag them, so they do not clump.
Reheating
Reheat wings on a sheet pan at 375F (190C) for 10 minutes to bring back the crisp. Reheat macaroni covered at 350F (175C) for 15 minutes with a splash of milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, and it works well. Assemble the macaroni up to the baking step, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake it straight from cold with 10 extra minutes. Glaze the wings right before broiling so the honey does not sit on the raw chicken.
Q: Why did my cheese sauce turn grainy?
Almost always heat. Cheese added to a boiling sauce breaks into fat and grains. Take the pan off the heat first, then stir the cheese in a handful at a time.
Q: How do I know the wings are cooked through?
A thermometer in the thickest part of a drumette should read 165F (74C). If you do not have one, cut to the bone and check that the juices run clear, not pink.
Q: Can I use a different pasta shape?
Any short shape works, so use what is in the cupboard. Penne and rotini hold sauce well, and shells are good if you want the cheese to pool inside them.
Q: Can I make this without an oven?
You can cook the wings in an air fryer at 380F (193C) for 22 minutes, glazing them for the last 3. Cook the macaroni on the stovetop and skip the panko topping.
Get the wings on the rack first, then start the pasta water. By the time the macaroni is bubbling, the glaze will be sticky and dark at the edges. Crispy on, stress off — happy cooking!
Comfort Food design inspiration Recipe
Sticky glazed chicken wings with baked macaroni cheese: one tray, 50 minutes, and a dinner that tastes like a Sunday at home.
🧂 Ingredients
- 3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) honey
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 12 ounces (340 g) elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk
- 3 cups (340 g) shredded cheese, a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzarella
- 1/2 cup (50 g) panko breadcrumbs
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Set the oven to 400F (200C). Line a sheet pan with foil and put a rack on top.
- 2Dry and season the wings — Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Toss with oil, salt, and smoked paprika until every piece is coated.
- 3Roast the wings — Arrange the wings skin side up on the rack. Roast 30 minutes, until the skin is golden and the thickest part reads 165F (74C).
- 4Boil the macaroni — While the wings roast, boil the macaroni in salted water for two minutes less than the package says. Drain and set aside.
- 5Make the cheese sauce — Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook one minute. Add the milk in a slow stream, whisking, and cook 4 minutes until it coats a spoon.
- 6Add the cheese — Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the shredded cheese a handful at a time until smooth, then fold in the macaroni.
- 7Bake the macaroni — Pour the macaroni into a buttered 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Top with panko and bake 20 minutes, until the edges bubble.
- 8Glaze and broil the wings — Stir the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic together. Brush it over the wings and broil 3 to 4 minutes, until the glaze bubbles and darkens at the edges.
