Get the flavors of Buffalo chicken—without the wings—in this outrageously good mac and cheese.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank’s)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more 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, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.
- Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.
- Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 958 |
| Total Fat | 62 g |
| Saturated Fat | 34 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 44 g |
| Cholesterol | 193 mg |
| Sodium | 1292 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 958 |
| Total Fat | 62 g |
| Saturated Fat | 34 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 44 g |
| Cholesterol | 193 mg |
| Sodium | 1292 mg |
Reviews
Steps were convoluted, and kind of a lot for Mac and cheese. Took way longer than expected to make this
Been making this for years. Always a hit, follow the recipe but I do roast my own chicken. For smaller crowds, freeze 1/2 before baking. Cooks up like the day you made it.
Would definitely make it again. I forgot to add sou cream, and it still turned out amazing
HUGE HIT!! Made this for a Superbowl party! Buffalo Chicken dip meets Mac n Cheese, the best of both worlds!! I highly recommend prepping the day before with the following ingredients (dice the onion/celery/garlic), shred the rotisserie chicken. Mix dry ingredients and grade the cheese. Divide sticks of butter into the appropriate measurements. This was a time saver as there are several steps involved. DEFINITELY MAKING THIS AGAIN! Everyone was raving about how great it was!!
I’ve been making this for years. My family absolutely loves it! The only thing I do differently is I marinate the chicken overnight in extra Frank’s hot sauce. And I only use boneless skinless breast. Totally worth the time!
This dish has become a Christmas eve tradition for our family. Kids hopped in the car in Boston and drove straight through to Florida for it one year. So much cheese! Add the other favorite, buffalo chicken, and everyone is happy. My husband learned to make it tonight. He’ll have it once a week when I’m gone. I bet he can’t wait, Great recipe!
Family loved this. A little longer to prep than stated but makes a huge pan, plenty of leftovers. Family requested this as a do again. Spice factor was fine for us using the amount per the recipe. Did not add panko topping as store was out of panko but it wasn’t missed.
This is great. I did not use celery or the blue cheese, but otherwise followed the recipe. This has a nice amount of heat without being overpowering.
Popping with flavor. Worth the effort and cleanup.
One of my favorite recipes! Always a hit for guests as well. Prep time is definitely longer than 30 minutes as other reviews mention but worth it. Makes a huge batch, can be halved.