Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Buffalo sauce holds a special place in my cooking journey. I use it to make wraps, liven up sauces, and even as an extra ingredient in sandwiches. Before my time of topping enlightenment, it played a key role in every pasta sauce I made. Even though I don’t religiously add it to every recipe now, it is still a valuable ingredient in my pantry. Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese deserves its place of honor here and I hope I did it justice.

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Drawing inspiration from my pulled pork mac and cheese recipe, this sauce mirrors it in a lot of ways. You could easily make a giant pot of pasta and customize it to your guest’s preferences. Both feature a cheddar parmesan sauce with their respective sauces stirred in for a little kick. You can use any buffalo sauce you’d like. Our favorites are Sweet Baby Ray’s and Frank’s Red Hot. Aim for something with a little bit of spice and a ton of flavor.

We had leftover pulled chicken that I used for the topping, but you have so many options here. This would be great with grilled chicken seasoned with Buffalo Ranch Seasoning. Or some chopped frozen chicken strips.

I chose to keep my toppings pretty basic in my buffalo chicken mac and cheese, but the sky is the limit here. If you’re a blue cheese fan, crumbles atop this dish would be a great addition. We were out of green onions or I would have used it as well. Crispy onion strings would be amazing here. Extra parmesan shreds would be a nice balance to the spicy buffalo sauce.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

The perfect marriage of spicy buffalo sauce and creamy mac and cheese.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Entree, Sides
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz Pasta
  • 3 tbsp Butter
  • 3 tbsp Flour
  • 3 cups Whole Milk
  • 1 tablespoon Buffalo Sauce
  • 1 cup grated Extra Sharp Cheddar
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan

Toppings

  • Cooked Chicken
  • Buffalo Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the pasta according to package directions.

Prepare the sauce

  • Pre heat your milk in the microwave for 45 seconds – just enough to take the chill out of it.
  • Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and let it heat until it becomes foamy.
  • Mix in flour. Cook it for a minute while stirring constantly
  • Slowly add warmed milk to the butter mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk it continually until combined. 
  • Once all of the milk is added, cook for a few minutes while whisking it. Do not let it boil. You will feel the sauce start to thicken. It’s ready for cheese when you rub a small amount between your fingers and it feels silky.
  • Remove from heat and stir in your cheese until it’s melted and mixed into the sauce. Add about a tablespoon of buffalo sauce to the cheese mixture.
  • Once the cheese is incorporated, use a cooked noodle to taste your sauce. If it doesn’t taste cheesy enough try adding a little more salt to bring out the flavor. You can add more buffalo sauce here if you need to.
  • Combine the pasta and sauce. Top with chicken and a drizzle of more buffalo sauce.