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Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

My buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe is perfectly creamy and full of flavor. It’s one the best comfort foods around and with a super quick and easy recipe like this, you can’t go wrong!

My husband and I love macaroni and cheese and I mean we truly love it. There is nothing like a hearty meal, especially during colder seasons. We love to spice it up in different ways.

One of those ways (and my personal favorite way) to eat macaroni and cheese is with the addition of chicken, some buffalo wing hot sauce and blue cheese crumbles.

It’s a combination of my mom’s classic homemade mac and cheese and delicious buffalo chicken inspired by a visit to NYC and the restaurant S’mac over a decade ago where we had it for the first time.

It’s truly one of my favorite comfort foods.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese in pan

This easy recipe is quick to make because while the chicken and pasta are cooking on the stove, you can prepare the sauce in the microwave by slowly mixing together a few ingredients.

Quick aside, I love having our meat delivered from Perdue! It seriously makes life so much easier.

Ingredients/What to Buy

I love that you just need a handful of ingredients to make this yummy comfort food and most of them are pantry staples! I love a strong cheese flavor but you can really customize this recipe based on your preferences.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Ingredients

You will need:

  • Pasta of your choice (this is Fusili, but feel free to grab your favorite pasta shape)
  • Extra sharp cheddar cheese (or your favorite shredded cheeses)
  • Milk
  • Butter
  • All-Purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Chicken breast
  • Franks Original Buffalo sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
  • Blue cheese crumbles, optional topping
  • Green onions

How to Make Spicy Buffalo Chicken Mac

Start by boiling your water in a large pot on high heat. Once the water is boiling, add a pinch of salt and your pasta. Reduce to medium heat and cook until pasta is al dente or your preferred consistency if you like it a little more done.

While the pasta water is heating, prepare the cheese sauce. To do this, stir together the milk, flour, butter, cheese, and salt in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Making Sauce

Stir the melted butter and cheese together with the flour and and microwave again for another 4 minutes. Stir that deliciously cheesy sauce until well combined and set aside.

It’s ok to add a minute or two in the microwave if needed but you don’t want it to overheat.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Melted Cheese Sauce

For the meat, you can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to save time. Or, take diced raw chicken breast and cook it on the stove in a large skillet.

Add a little olive oil or butter to the skillet with chicken pieces and cook until done over medium-high heat, turning often.

Buffalo Chicken in Pan with hot sauce

Pour 1/4 cup of spicy buffalo sauce into the pan and remove from heat. If it is too spicy, simply melt butter into the sauce to lighten the taste.

Stir in the cheese sauce into the cooked pasta and top with buffalo chicken and other optional toppings like bleu cheese crumbles, ranch dressing, or green onions.

Macaroni and cheese with buffalo chicken and blue cheese crumbles

Print the Recipe

Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food! There’s just something about the combination of cooked pasta, creamy cheese sauce and the unmistakable flavor of buffalo chicken wings that melts in your mouth.

Whether you serve this as a side dish I or as a complete meal, I hope you love it!

Buffalo-Chicken-Mac-Cheese Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

Andrea Updyke
Wait until you try this Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe. Such a delicious comfort food and great for feeding a crowd too!
4.55 from 22 votes

Be sure to check out my tips and tricks in the post. Scroll up to read!

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 529 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb pasta of your choice I used Fusilli
  • 2 cups or more extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 lb chicken breast
  • 1/4 cup Franks Original Buffalo sauce
  • 8 Tbsp Blue Cheese Crumbles optional topping

Instructions
 

  • Boil water and add pasta when boiling (reduce heat)
  • While water is heating, prepare the cheese sauce by combining the milk, flour, butter, cheese, and salt in a microwave safe bowl.
  • Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Stir sauce and microwave on high for another 4 minutes.
  • Cook chicken in a small amount of olive oil or butter until cooked through.
  • Add 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce and remove from heat.
  • Once pasta is done, stir in the cheese sauce and buffalo chicken.
  • Top with Bleu cheese crumbles (if desired) and enjoy!

Notes

The great thing about this meal is that you add the buffalo chicken to regular mac and cheese so if your kids want it the traditional way, everyone is happy!

Nutrition

Calories: 529kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 32gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 966mgSugar: 2g

Nutrition information is estimated. For the most accurate info, always doublecheck with your ingredients.

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Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Recipe Rating




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Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting

Monday 28th of January 2013

OMG! Yes and yes. In my mouth. Please.

Annie @ Mama Dweeb

Saturday 26th of January 2013

I have never used buffalo sauce in Mac & Cheese but this sounds DELICIOUS!!!

Beth

Saturday 26th of January 2013

I want. NOW.

Fadra

Saturday 26th of January 2013

There's a MAC&CHEESE restaurant in NYC? I'm so there.

Andrea

Saturday 26th of January 2013

Yes! In fact I meant to add the link...doing that now - but here it is for you! http://www.smacnyc.com/

Jennifer (Savor)

Friday 25th of January 2013

My hubby would like to know if you will marry him and make this every night?

Andrea

Friday 25th of January 2013

I think my hubby might have something to say about that! Something tells me you could take this and make it 1million times better!

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