Mac and cheese is a classic dish, but I like to jazz things up a bit by creating new versions such as jalapeno popper mac and cheese, chili mac and this spicy buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese.
Mac and cheese is great on its own, but it’s even better when you amp up the flavor with crispy chicken and a generous amount of hot sauce. This buffalo chicken mac and cheese is so fun to eat, and it happens to be quite easy to make too!
How do you make buffalo chicken mac and cheese?
For this recipe you want crispy chicken, which means that the first step is to bake frozen pre-prepared chicken fingers. While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the pasta by simmering it in a mixture of milk and water that’s been thickened with a little butter and flour. When the pasta is done, stir in cheese and buffalo sauce. All that’s left are those chicken fingers. Chop them up and stir them into the pasta. Serve the mac and cheese with celery and green onions on top, along with a generous drizzle of buffalo sauce.
Tips for buffalo chicken mac and cheese
I use corkscrew pasta in this recipe, it’s sometimes called cavatappi or cellentani. These noodles are heartier than standard elbow macaroni and don’t get mushy as they simmer in the sauce. I recommend using freshly grated cheese for this recipe. The bagged pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents and just don’t melt as smoothly. I find that whole milk works best for the creamiest sauce. I prefer to use Frank’s Red Hot buffalo wing sauce for this recipe as it has the best flavor. If you don’t want to use crispy chicken, you can make my shredded crock pot buffalo chicken and use that instead. This recipe makes a mac and cheese with a medium heat level. If you prefer a spicier dish, increase the amount of hot sauce to 1/2 cup.
Macaroni and cheese variations
This buffalo mac and cheese is amazing. However, you can mix things up a bit by adding other ingredients to your dish.
Meat: You can use popcorn shrimp instead of chicken fingers for a seafood twist. Cheese: Feel free to add in different types of cheese like Gouda, Fontina, Mozzarella or Gruyere. Just make sure that your cheese melts well. Pasta: Almost any short pasta shape works for this dish. I prefer cellentani because it retains its shape well. However, you can use macaroni, fusilli, penne or small shells. If you like the taste of blue cheese with your buffalo sauce, feel free to crumble some blue cheese over the top when you serve the dish.
WHAT IS THE BEST CHEESE TO USE FOR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
For macaroni and cheese, the best cheese is a combination of cheeses. I like to use cheddar for color and flavor and Monterey Jack for texture mixed with cream cheese for smoothness. Be sure to use a medium or sharp cheddar cheese, but you won’t want to veer into the territory of the extra sharp aged cheeses. Aged cheeses tend to separate when they melt, and are not a good candidate for this recipe.
This buffalo mac and cheese recipe is a fun way two take to favorite foods and blend them together. Give this mac and cheese a try, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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