Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese is spicy and creamy and sort of ridiculous. With three kinds of cheese, spicy chicken, and tender pasta, it's even better than it sounds.
Pleasure and joy are your birthright. You don't need to earn happiness, and you definitely don't need to deprive yourself or punish yourself. Whoever tried to sell us these joyless belief systems was clearly just trying to maintain the status quo of oppression. Okay, so maybe that's a bit serious in a post about mac and cheese, but think about it. Anyone who tries to tell you that you shouldn't eat something delicious probably doesn't want you to be happy. Why?
Sure, everything has consequences, and you have to consider your health and the environment and labor conditions and all the rest, but living a life completely devoid of pleasure and fun is just pointless. Why are we here? To work until we die? No thank you. I intend to enjoy myself.
What makes Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese so awesome?
If you were ever going to splurge on something deeply pleasurable, this Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese would definitely get the job done. This recipe easily serves 6 hungry people, more if you're being reasonable. But reason probably goes right out the window when you'r eating something this ridiculous. There's cheddar and spicy cheese along with tender chicken and lots of spicy Buffalo sauce. Then the whole thing gets topped with blue cheese crumbles, obviously, because what's the point of Buffalo if there's no blue cheese?
You could totally pull this out to wow everyone at the family potluck or game day buffet. Or just make it for no reason other than that you want to eat something indulgent and delicious. Be warned, this does require a lot of dishes. It's so good, though, you could probably bribe the family to do the dishes afterward. Nothing about this is an everyday affair, but on the days when you do make it, you're going to be outrageously happy.
Make it magical
We're always using all four elements in cooking, but some foods carry stronger elemental energy. Anything spicy, like Buffalo sauce, will carry fire energy. Fire is all about action, passion, and motivation. Use this energy in your kitchen witchcraft when you want to get things moving, heat things up, or inspire passions of all kinds.
For details on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this dish. The full details are in the recipe card below.
- Butter
- Macaroni - or other small pasta shape
- Green onions - green and white parts will be used in different parts of the recipe
- Chicken breast - pre-cooked is easiest
- Garlic - fresh or paste
- Buffalo sauce
- Flour
- Mustard powder
- Half and half - or single cream
- Cheeses - you'll need cheddar, pepper jack or cheddar with chilies, and blue cheese
- Sour cream
- Panko bread crumbs
Tips for making Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Okay, I admit this is a bit of a messy affair. In one big pot, you're gonna boil your pasta. No big deal. In a skillet, you're going to sautee the white parts of your green onion and the garlic in butter, then mix in the chopped chicken breast and buffalo sauce. Let this all cook together to flavor the chicken and set aside.
Then you'll make your sauce in a saucepan. Start by making a roux with butter and flour. This just means you'll melt the butter in the pan, then whisk in the flour and let it cook until it starts to smell nutty. Then slowly start working in your half and half or cream. Add about a quarter cup at a time, whisking until smooth each time until you have it all worked in. Let this mixture come up to a simmer to thicken. Then you'll add in the mustard powder, cheddar and spicy cheese, sour cream, and more buffalo sauce. Stir this until the cheese is melted and you have a smooth sauce.
To bring it all together, combine the pasta, chicken, and sauce in your big pan, and give it a good stir to combine. Then transfer the whole thing to a casserole dish and sprinkle on some blue cheese crumbles and panko breadcrumbs. Then bake it all together until it's bubbly, gooey, and delicious. Sprinkle over the chopped green parts of your green onions before serving for a pop of freshness.
Will Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese be the best thing you've ever eaten? You'll have to try it to know for sure.
Looking for more awesome buffalo inspired recipes? Check out these Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels or try some Buffalo Deviled Eggs.
PrintBuffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese is spicy and creamy and sort of ridiculous. With three kinds of cheese, spicy chicken, and tender pasta, it's even better than it sounds.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2.5 ounces unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cups buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 2-½ cups half and half
- 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese or cheddar with chillies, cubed or shredded
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and spray a large casserole dish or 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add some salt, then cook your macaroni until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.
- While your pasta is cooking, melt 1.5 ounces of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white parts of your green onions and cook for a minute or two until it softens. Next, add your chicken and garlic and let it cook for a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add ½ cup of the buffalo sauce. Stir this all together and bring it to a simmer for a minute or so to thicken the sauce slightly. Turn off the heat and set this aside while you get on with your cheese sauce.
- Melt 1 ounce of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and mustard powder to make a paste. Slowly whisk in the half and half, about a half cup at a time, whisking until smooth before you add the next addition. Once you've created a smooth creamy sauce, you can then stir in your remaining ¼ cup buffalo sauce. Once your mixture is bubbling gently, add the cheddar, pepper jack cheese, and sour cream, and stir until the cheese is melted and your sauce is smooth.
- Now it's time to toss together all the parts. If your sauce pan is big enough, you can add your pasta and chicken straight into that, but it may need to all go into the pasta pot to give you enough space to stir it all together. Once your mixture is properly combined, transfer the whole lot to your waiting casserole dish.
- Scatter the top of the casserole with your panko breadcrumbs, then dot the whole thing with blue cheese all over the top.
- Bake this mass of cheesy goodness for 30 minutes until as brown and bubbly as you desire.
- Let it sit for about 10 minutes to cool. Sprinkle over the green parts of your green onions before serving.
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