Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is made with a creamy cheese sauce, tender chicken, and a touch of heat.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is made with a creamy cheese sauce, tender chicken, and a touch of heat.
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 3/4 cup franks hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 3 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Carbohydrate 89.7710319175503 g
- Cholesterol 383.818000165578 mg
- Fat 118.548521118601 g
- Fiber 3.78519610398213 g
- Protein 70.5800442381205 g
- Saturated Fat 70.712273108897 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (840g)
- Sodium 2043.80874922443 mg
- Sugar 85.9858358135682 g
- Trans Fat 7.11947725298724 g
- Calories 1700 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until almost al dente. Drain.
- Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add hot sauce and simmer about 1 minute.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half and cook until thickened, a few minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses and stir until smooth.
- Combine the chicken mixture, cheese sauce, and cooked and drained noodles to the same pot. Mix well and place in your greased baking dish.
- Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted and stir in the panko. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake for 30 minutes.
Throwing cold, pre-shredded cheese directly into a hot cream base is the single most common error that guarantees a gritty, separated sauce rather than a smooth emulsion. When shredding your own sharp cheddar and pepper jack blocks, you eliminate the anti-caking cellulose powders that commercial baggers use to prevent clumping, which actively fight against smooth melting. Freshness dictates the final stability of the dairy components, meaning a higher fat half-and-half purchased recently will yield a much glossier sauce than older cartons nearing their expiration date. Cooking the finely chopped onions and celery until they are genuinely soft rather than merely translucent builds a sweet, tender foundation that contrasts against the sharp vinegar heat of the hot sauce. Whisking the all-purpose flour and dry mustard thoroughly into the melted butter before adding any liquid forms a cooked roux that eliminates raw starch flavors and thickens the half-and-half reliably within a few minutes over medium heat. Texture depends heavily on pulling the elbow macaroni off the heat while it remains slightly underdone, ensuring the pasta does not turn mushy after absorbing excess moisture during the thirty-minute baking phase at 350 degrees F. Tossing the panko breadcrumbs in melted butter prior to scattering them over the 9-by-13-inch baking dish guarantees an even, golden crunch across the surface instead of dry, pale flakes.
