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    Posted In: Main Entrees, Sides
    November 14, 2021 — by Julie — Leave a Comment

    Home » Delish » Main Entrees » Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

    Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

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    This buffalo chicken mac and cheese is a blend of pasta, cheese, chicken, and sauce. The best macaroni and cheese recipe you’ll ever make!

    Some of my other favorites include lobster mac and cheese and 4 cheese mac and cheese.

    buffalo chicken mac and cheese with green chives on top.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • It’s made with store-bought rotisserie chicken, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese dressing. All you have to do is cook the pasta and bechamel sauce!
    • Super cheesy, creamy, flavorful, and decadent.
    • It feeds a large crowd!
    • Makes the best leftovers. Simply place any leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

    Ingredient Notes

    Pasta – I used cavatappi pasta but feel free to use any type of short-shaped pasta.

    Chicken – You can boil chicken breasts, cook a whole chicken in the air fryer, or simply use store-bought cooked chicken.

    Cheese – I used a blend of cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and caramelized onion pepper jack cheese. If you can’t find onion pepper jack cheese, use gouda or cheddar instead.

    Milk – Use whole milk for best results.

    ingredients for buffalo chicken mac and cheese, pasta, cheese, flour, butter, milk, shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing,

    Top Tips For The Perfect Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

    • Make sure to constantly whisk the bechamel sauce, otherwise, it can burn and stick to the pot.
    • Use blue cheese dressing from the refrigerated section of your local supermarket. Those usually taste the best!
    • Discard the chicken skin and fat, it tends to get soggy when combined with the cheese sauce.
    • Cook the butter and flour for at least 2 minutes before adding the cold milk, to cook out that raw flour taste.
    • Add some crumble blue cheese to the cheese sauce, if you want to make it extra cheesy.
    • If you want to make it spicy, add cayenne pepper and use spicy buffalo sauce instead of the original.
    • Throw some crushed Ritz crackers or bread crumbs on top before baking if you like a little crunch.
    a mixture of cooked pasta, buffalo chicken, and cheese sauce.

    Can I Use Fried Chicken Instead Of Shredded Chicken?

    Of course. Feel free to add cut-up crispy chicken nuggets. Just don’t forget to combine it with the buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing.

    What Goes Good With Baked Mac and Cheese?

    This is such a rich and decadent meal that I highly recommend serving it as a side dish. I love to serve it with garlic butter steak tips or crab stuffed salmon.

    buffalo chicken mac and cheese on a white plate.

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    buffalo chicken mac and cheese with green chives on top.

    Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 686kcal
    Author: Julie Maestre
    This buffalo chicken mac and cheese is a blend of pasta, cheese, chicken, and sauce. The best macaroni and cheese recipe you'll ever make!

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb pasta cavatappi
    • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 1/2 cups whole milk
    • 2 cups cheddar cheese
    • 2 cups caramelized onion Jack cheese or gouda cheese
    • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
    • 2 cups cooked chicken
    • 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
    • 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to packaging instructions. I like to cook it till al dente.
    • In a large skillet, add the butter and let it melt. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the whole milk. Let the sauce cook for 20-30 minutes over medium heat while stirring frequently.
    • Once the sauce is thick, turn off the heat. Stir in the cheese, make sure to leave some cheese for the top.
    • Check the sauce for seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed.
    • In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese dressing.
    • Add the chicken mixture and cooked pasta to the cheese sauce. Mix well. Top it off with the remaining cheese.
    • Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with chives or scallions, if desired.

    Notes

    • Make sure to constantly whisk the bechamel sauce, otherwise, it can burn and stick to the pot.
    • Use blue cheese dressing from the refrigerated section of your local supermarket. Those usually taste the best!
    • Discard the chicken skin and fat, it tends to get soggy when combined with the cheese sauce.
    • Cook the butter and flour for at least 2 minutes before adding the cold milk, to cook out that raw flour taste.
    • Add some crumble blue cheese to the cheese sauce, if you want to make it extra cheesy.
    • If you want to make it spicy, add cayenne pepper and use spicy buffalo sauce instead of the original.
    • Throw some crushed Ritz crackers or bread crumbs on top before baking if you like a little crunch.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 806mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 665mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedbyjulie or tag #cookedbyjulie!

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    Filed Under: Main Entrees, Sides

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    Hi, I'm Julie! I’m extremely fortunate to make a living doing what I truly love – creating and sharing my favorite “can’t live without” recipes with readers from all over the world.

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