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Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Cheesy, packed with chicken and a little bit of heat this Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is the perfect weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 566kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cavatappi pasta
  • 1 rotisserie chicken shredded (about 2 cups)
  • 5 tablespoons salted butter divided
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
  • ½ cup buffalo sauce
  • cup ranch dressing
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9x13 pan, set aside.
  • In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Make sure to add salt. Once boiling, cook pasta until al dente.
  • While pasta is boiling, in a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Whisk the flour and butter mixture until fully combined. Allow the mixture to lightly bubble for 30 seconds once combined.
  • Slowly pour the milk into the butter and flour mixture while constantly whisking. Whisk until the mixture has turned light yellow and has slightly thickened into a roux, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in cheeses until combined. Add spices, buffalo sauce, and ranch to the cheese mixture. Mix until combined.
  • Drain pasta and place back in the large pot. Add the cheese mixture and shredded chicken to the pasta, and mix well.
  • Pour the pasta into the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly.
  • In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Use a fork and mix together the melted butter and panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle panko over top of the pasta.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Notes

  1. You can make this less spicy by adding 1/3 cup buffalo sauce and 1/2 cup ranch.
  2. We like to use cavatappi pasta for this as it grabs sauce well but feel free to use any smaller pasta you like.
  3. We use Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses for this recipe, feel free to play around with the flavors to see what you like best.
  4. You can swap out the panko breadcrumbs for regular, Ritz crackers or even more cheese.
  5. This is great topped off with a drizzle of buffalo sauce, ranch and a sprinkle of green onions.
  6. We use Franks Red Hot sauce for this, but you can use any brand that you'd like!

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1155mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 634IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 318mg | Iron: 2mg