Your two favorite foods in the whole world combined and refined to make everyone at the table reach for the serving spoon at the same time.
I’ve been helping around dinner time for the families I cook for because I’ve noticed something: moms rarely get to sit down and eat. They’re always jumping up to get Wet Ones, napkins, sippy cups, sippy lids, juice boxes, and cleaning up spilled everything.
I want the moms I cook for to be able to enjoy the meals I cook for them. So, I try to deliver my weeks’ meals for them around 5 p.m., and that way, I can set up place settings in the actual dining room and get the high chairs needed for the little twins. Then I do a little “tidying” that gives me a little time to listen in on their reactions to that night’s meal.
So, the other night, as Jillian, Ferf, and their three children get settled down to this dish and their kids’ favorite sides: Zucchini Boats and Veggie Cupcakes. I hear Harper go, “Mommy, this is sooooo yum-yum-yummy … look how this cheese stretches – what kind of cheese is this?” So I chimed in from the living room where I was picking up many fun-looking toys, “It’s got special cheeses in it just made for kids, like Gorgonzola!” “Gorgons?!?” Harper says (she’s like genius smart), “aren’t those like dragons? This cheese comes from fire-breathin’ dragons, Mommy!” So even though it’s not spicy-hot, the family’s dubbing this dish “Buffalo Chicken Fire-Breathing Dragon Mac and Cheese.” And they said to bring a larger casserole dish of this next week, and a frozen one, too.
Why Your Family Will Devour This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
There is something about Buffalo chicken that macaroni and cheese just loves. I mean, macaroni and cheese must be like “Oh yeah, there’s my favorite buddy”. Because does spicy, sweet, drenched-in-sauce chicken set off all the flavors in macaroni and cheese and amplify them like a big loudspeaker turned all the way up? Yes, it does.
I mean, I understand how flavor and the tastebuds work and all. But I still haven’t unearthed all the reasons why Buffalo chicken and macaroni and cheese taste THIS good together – but they do, just about better than any other stirred-in meat I know of. Buffalo sauce has this tastebud-activating flavor profile that sets off all the contrasting cheese flavors in mac and cheese. Especially this milder, creamier version of bleu cheese called Gorgonzola.
And this mac and cheese blend and Buffalo’d chicken go together like pancakes and syrup, French fries and ketchup, or tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Believe me, I’m making me hungry, too, I know your pain.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
This dish can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months without sacrificing flavor and texture. Luckily, Gorgonzola is a freezer-friendly cheese and since a milk-based sauce is used as opposed to a cream one, this can freeze well.
Serving Suggestions
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is a great main dish that’s complemented by green vegetable sides or tomato ones, like this easy-peasy Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole or this delicious Zucchini Noodle and Tomato Casserole. Harper said to tell you to try this, her favorite dessert with BC Mac and Cheese: Strawberry Pretzel Cake (it’s really called Strawberry Pretzel Salad, but I tweaked the name for kid-friendliness a bit), which is a simple, fast, and delicious sweet-crunchy-salty concoction combining strawberries, jello, pretzels, sugar, and cream cheese. Kids LOVE IT.
If you love this Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, you’ll love this Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole or this heavenly Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip. And by slow cooker, I mean some kind of low-and-slow cooking vessel where the lid can be removed often and easily because no human being alive can leave it alone while it’s bubbling away.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce package elbow macaroni
- 1 rotisserie chicken meat removed and shredded
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup hot sauce such as Frank’s RedHot, or to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a baking dish.
- Boil the pasta: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the elbow macaroni until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: While the pasta cooks, shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken, discarding the skin and bones.
- Make the roux: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking continuously to form a smooth paste. Cook for about 1 minute until it turns golden.
- Create the cheese sauce: Gradually pour in the milk, continuing to whisk to prevent lumps. Cook until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble. Season with black pepper.
- Combine cheeses: Lower the heat and stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses until melted and smooth.
- Add some heat: Mix in the hot sauce, adjusting the amount to suit your spice preference.
- Combine all elements: Fold in the shredded chicken and cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce, ensuring everything is well coated.
- Bake to perfection: Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese, and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.
- Serve warm: Let the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese rest for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy your deliciously spicy and cheesy creation!
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