Easy way to make creamy Buffalo Chicken Mac And Cheese

Buffalo chicken mac and cheese is rich and creamy comfort food at its finest.

This soft pasta dish is the perfect side for BBQs, potlucks, or your next family dinner, with just enough heat balanced beautifully by an excellent cheese sauce.

What Gives This Recipe Its Flavour?

• Have you tried buffalo chicken dip before? Have you ever wondered if there’s a way to make buffalo chicken dip even more delicious? So, there you have it! The tastes you adore are enhanced with tender macaroni and a creamy, seasoned cheese sauce in this buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
• It’s a simple recipe with unlimited potential! Change up the cheeses, the pasta, the amount of buffalo sauce, the sliced jalapenos, the cayenne pepper, or the red pepper flakes… There are so many possibilities!
• The creaminess of the cheese sauce counteracts the heat of the buffalo sauce, making it ideal for anyone in your company who isn’t a fan of spicy foods. Of course, if you want things hot, you can always add additional buffalo sauce to the chicken or the finished mac & cheese!

Important Ingredients

Pasta – Elbow macaroni is a traditional mac and cheese option, but this dish may be made with any variety of pasta. This time I used cavatappi since I adore the way it looks. Use whatever appeals to you the most!

Shredded Chicken – Buffalo chicken mac and cheese is even easier using shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken! It’s quite OK if you prefer to cook your own chicken.

Buffalo sauce (not regular hot sauce) — If you’re using store-bought sauce, be sure it’s buffalo sauce and not regular hot sauce. Do you want to try your hand at making your own?

Milk- Milk is used to keep the cheese sauce creamy. Instead of milk, you can use heavy cream or half-and-half to make a thicker sauce. If you’re going to use non-dairy milk, be sure it’s not sweetened!

Cheese — For my buffalo chicken mac and cheese, I decided on a classic combination of cheddar and mozzarella. The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it to your liking!

If you like things a little spicy, pepper jack cheese would be a nice addition. Swiss or gouda cheese would also be fantastic!

Chef’s Advice

• Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding the cheese. If the cheese is too hot, it will seize when it comes into contact with the liquid, producing the sauce clumpy and gritty rather than smooth and creamy.
• Anti-clumping chemicals in prepackaged shredded cheese might make it difficult to melt or give the sauce a gritty texture. Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself for the finest sauce ever! It’s simple to execute and can make a major difference in the overall flavor of your buffalo chicken mac & cheese.
• Make sure the pasta isn’t overcooked! Cook it only until it’s al dente when you first cook it. The noodles should be firm but tender. If you overcook it the first time, it will simply grow more overcooked once it is placed in the oven.
• Before baking, top the mixture with panko breadcrumbs for a lovely, crisp texture that complements the smoothness of the buffalo chicken mac and cheese! To give the panko a deeper flavor, I like to dip it in melted butter beforehand. It also aids in the crisping of the dish in the oven. Just make sure you don’t burn it!

Buffalo Chicken Mac And Cheese

Buffalo chicken mac & cheese is rich and creamy comfort food at its finest. This soft pasta dish is the perfect side for BBQs, potlucks, or your next family dinner, with just enough heat balanced beautifully by an excellent cheese sauce.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken approximately ¾ pound
• ¼ cup buffalo sauce plus more for topping
• 2 tablespoons ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing

For the Mac & Cheese

• 8 ounces cavatappi or preferred pasta
• ¼ cup butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour see Notes
• 2 cups milk see Notes
• ¼ teaspoon dried mustard
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅓ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese plus more for topping
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella plus more for topping
• ranch or blue cheese dressing is optional, for topping
• chives are optional, for garnish

Equipment

• Oven
• Baking dish
• Cooking spray
• Small bowl
• Large pot (for cooking pasta)
• Large skillet

Instructions For Buffalo Chicken Mac And Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Combine the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing in a small mixing basin. Remove from the equation.
2. Cook pasta until it’s just al dente, as directed on the package. Remove the pasta from the water but do not rinse it.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir add the flour until the roux turns light brown, whisking constantly.
4. Reduce the heat to a low setting. Whisk in the milk gradually, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Turn off the heat in the skillet. Combine the dried mustard, garlic powder, salt, shredded cheddar, and shredded cheese in a mixing bowl. Return skillet to heat after stirring until cheese is thoroughly melted.
6. Stir the al dente spaghetti and shredded chicken into the cheese sauce until well distributed. Transfer the mixture to a prepared baking dish and, if desired, cover with more cheese.
7. Buffalo chicken mac and cheese should be baked for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and gently browned. Remove from the oven and serve with a buffalo sauce drizzle, ranch or blue cheese dressing, and chives on top. Warm the dish before serving.

Notes

• Use heavy cream or half-and-half instead of milk for a creamier sauce. If you’re using a non-dairy milk, make sure it’s not sweetened!
• Gluten-Free Option: Gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free pasta are both recommended.

This recipe makes around 6 servings. The number of servings will be determined by the size of your selected portions.

The nutritional values provided are for one serving of the components mentioned, without including toppings. The exact macros will vary depending on the brands and types of ingredients utilized.

Prepare the recipe as directed to get the weight of one serving. Weigh the final recipe, then divide the weight (excluding the weight of the container in which the food is stored) by 6. The weight of one serving will be the result.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 454kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 797mg, Potassium: 308mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 621IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 281mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 35g