Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese meets buffalo chicken in this indulgent recipe. This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is cheesy and spicy and full of bold flavors.

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Mac and cheese is great in any form, but we love to spice things up with this buffalo chicken inspired version! For some traditional versions, check out this stove top Creamy Mac and Cheese or Baked Mac and Cheese.

Back in my early years of blogging, I went on a buffalo chicken cooking spree. I wanted to turn everything into a buffalo chicken inspired recipe.

I think I may have overdone it, because after that, for a long time, I couldn’t do buffalo chicken anything.

But it’s a good thing these things pass with time. Because I’m back. And so is my buffalo chicken craving.

This recipe was originally posted back in 2011, and when I made it again, I was sure my kids wouldn’t love it. But I was wrong. They gobbled this right up. I may have some more buffalo chicken lovers on my hands!

Ingredients

• Macaroni – The traditional pasta for macaroni and cheese is of course, macaroni. I haven’t personally made this with another cut of pasta, but any short cut pasta should work (like penne or mini shells).
• Butter – This calls for a lot of butter, but you’re using it in all three components of the dish. For the chicken, for the cheese sauce, and for the topping. I like to use unsalted butter because there are so many other salty ingredients.
• Onion – You need one medium onion. I like to dice mine fairly small.
• Garlic – Use fresh, if possible.
• Chicken – I use cooked, shredded chicken that I already have on hand. You can also use a rotisserie chicken if you don’t have any cooked chicken.
• Hot Sauce – Frank’s Red Hot is the best here for authentic buffalo chicken flavor.
• Flour – This is to make the roux for your cheese sauce.
• Mustard Powder – This adds a lot of flavor. You could also use a squirt of mustard if you don’t have the powder.
• Half and Half – I read once that half and half is not actually half cream and half milk (I don’t remember the exact proportions), but you would be safe to use 1 1/4 cups milk and 1 1/4 cups cream if you don’t have half and half on hand.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Sharp cheddar will give you the biggest bang for your buck. You could use a more mild cheddar, but the flavor won’t come through as well.
• Pepper Jack Cheese – This gives you a little bit more spice. You could use monterey jack if you don’t want that extra zing.
• Sour Cream – The secret ingredient to keep it all creamy!
• Panko Bread Crumbs – I love a good, crunchy topping. The panko is mixed with butter and bakes up nice and crispy.
• Blue Cheese – I prefer to get a brick of blue cheese and crumble it myself, but you could use a crumbled blue cheese. It just tends to be drier.
• Parsley – This is to add a bit of freshness. If you don’t have any, you can leave it out.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

1: Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil and cooking the macaroni. Once it is al dente, drain it and return it to the pot.

2: While you are cooking the pasta, sautee the onion in some of the butter, then stir add the garlic. Stir in the chicken.

3: Add 1/2 cup of the hot sauce to the chicken.

4: Stir everything together, and let it heat through. This should only take a minute or two.

5: Then you can start making the cheese sauce. Melt some more of the butter, then whisk in the flour and the mustard powder. Cook this for a minute or two.

6: Slowly whisk the half and half into the pot.

7: Add the remaining hot sauce, and stir and cook until the sauce starts to thicken.

8: Next up is both cheeses. Add them and continue to whisk until everything is melted.

9: Stir in the sour cream.

10: Cook until the sauce is nice and creamy and thick.

11: Take your chicken mixture and your cheese sauce and pour it all into the pot with the pasta. Stir it all together.

12: Pour this whole mixture into a casserole dish.

13: Last is the topping! Take the last of your butter and melt it. Stir the panko bread crumbs in, then add the blue cheese and parsley.

14: Sprinkle this over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake it until it is nice and bubbly and hot, then let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Freezing and Storing

If you want to freeze this for later, prep it right up until you bake it. Let it cool completely, then wrap the whole dish tightly in foil. This is usually easiest in a disposable tin. Freeze the casserole. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. Bake the casserole, covered, at 350ºF for about 40 minutes, then uncover and continue to bake until it is hot and bubbling.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. I think the leftovers get a little bit dry, so when reheating, so sometimes I’ll add a bit more cheese.

More Buffalo Chicken Inspired Recipes

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Buffalo Sloppy Joes

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Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

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Macaroni and cheese meets buffalo chicken in this indulgent recipe. This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is cheesy and spicy and full of bold flavors.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound elbow macaroni
• ▢ 7 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• ▢ 1 small onion chopped (about 4 oz)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (about 12 oz)
• ▢ 3/4 cup hot sauce preferably Frank’s Red Hot, divided
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups half and half
• ▢ 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• ▢ 8 oz pepper jack cheese shredded
• ▢ 2/3 cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 2 oz blue cheese crumbled
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set to the side.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt generously. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, then return to the large pot.
• While the pasta is cooking, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and 1/2 cup of the hot sauce and cook until heated through.
• In a a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and the mustard powder and cook for a minute or two. Whisk in the half and half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup of hot sauce. Cook until the mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar cheese and the pepper jack cheese, then stir in the sour cream.
• Add the chicken mixture and the cheese mixture to the cooked pasta in the large pot. Stir until completely combined. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs until coated, then stir in the blue cheese and the parsley. Sprinkle the mixture over the pasta in the casserole dish.
• Transfer to the oven and bake until bubbly, about 30-40 minutes. Let the macaroni sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes:

slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine April 2010

SUBSTITUTIONS: I have only used elbow macaroni, but any short cut pasta should work.

If you don’t have cooked, shredded chicken on hand, a rotisserie chicken is an easy substitution.

FREEZE: This recipe should freeze well. Just make sure to cook your pasta to al dente – don’t take it too far or it will be too soft when defrosted. Once the casserole is assembled, let it come to room temperature and wrap tightly, label, and freeze. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.

The best way to defrost is in the refrigerator overnight. Then before serving, bake at 350ºF for about 40-50 minutes.

STORE: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can reheat in the oven (covered with foil) or you can reheat individual portions in the microwave. I do find that it will dry out a bit as leftovers, though.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/10 of recipe, Calories: 693kcal (35%), Carbohydrates: 45g (15%), Protein: 31g (62%), Fat: 44g (68%), Saturated Fat: 26g (163%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 113mg (38%), Sodium: 1245mg (54%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 5g (6%)

Keywords: buffalo chicken mac and cheese