• Preheat your oven 400F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Place the elbow macaroni in the boiling water with a pinch of salt and cook as per the instructions on the package, or until al dente. When ready, strain and reserve.
• While the pasta is cooking, place an large oven-safe skillet on the stove on medium-high heat. Drizzle in the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fully cook the cubed chicken. Turn the heat down to medium.
• Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning over the cooked chicken and stir it in. Continue by removing the cooked chicken from the skillet and placing it into a clean bowl.

To make the cheese sauce

• In the same skillet start making the cheese sauce. Melt down the butter, and when the butter is melted, whisk in the flour to make the roux. Simmer for 30 seconds.
• Whisk in about ½ cup of milk at a time into the roux, making sure that the sauce start to become smooth again before adding the rest of the milk.
• When the sauce comes back to a simmer add in the cream cheese in small pieces. Whisk it in until fully melted.
• Add 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and the 1 ½ cup of grated cheddar to the sauce and stir until melted. When fully melted and smooth, remove skillet from the heat.

Assemble the Mac and Cheese

• Add the cooked chicken and pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss in the chopped bell pepper and stir everything together until well combined and everything is covered in the sauce.
• Sprinkle the ½ cup grated cheddar evenly on top of the mac and cheese and then sprinkle on the panko crumbs.
• Place the skillet (uncovered) in the preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes. Place under the broil if wanting a crispier top. Take out of the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.