This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is creamy, cheesy with an exciting spicy layer of chicken to liven up your dinner. It is very easy to accomplish with already cooked chicken.
We love Mac and Cheese with a hot sauce like Frank’s, so we instantly loved this idea as you have the hot sauce built right into your mac! How delicious is that? Also, try our Best Pizza Chicken for another quick family meal.
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3 Quart Ceramic White Casserole
What is in Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese?
Easy ingredients that you can find anywhere. Panko is readily available now, and I love how it gives a light, crunchy top to the mac and cheese.
Buying a rotisserie chicken makes quick work of needing cooked chicken, and you get to use either dark meat or white or both. Use the rest in a great chicken sandwich for lunch!!
Ingredients
Milk
Butter
AP flour
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Garlic powder
Mustard powder
Onion powder
Sharp cheddar cheese
Parmesan
Elbow Macaroni
Cooked chicken
Hot sauce (like a Buffalo sauce, we love Frank’s)
Panko Crumb Topping
Panko crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Butter
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Butter a 3-quart casserole dish or two smaller dishes. If I do two, I usually will put one in the freezer to have later. You just have to thaw and bake accordingly.
Toss the panko with the grated Parmesan cheese and melted butter and mix to combine, then set aside.
Fill a large pot with salted water and heat over high heat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, mix the shredded chicken and hot sauce until the chicken is well coated, set aside.
Making The Cheese Sauce
In a medium saucepan, set over medium warm the milk, but do not allow it to boil.
Melt the 6 Tbsp of butter in a second medium saucepan over medium heat.
When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the flour and whisk, cooking for 1 minute.
Continue to whisk while slowly adding the warmed milk a bit at a time until it is all incorporated. Let the mixture thicken and bubble while whisking constantly for 3 – 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat when thickened and add the kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder and onion powder. Whisk to combine.
Then add the 5 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese and the ½ cup parmesan cheese. Set aside but stir it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the top.
Finishing the Mac and Cheese
Once the water is boiling, cook the macaroni as per the package directions to al dente. You will want the pasta slightly undercooked as it will continue to cook in the oven while baking. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce.
Pour half the macaroni and cheese sauce into the casserole dish; if using two casserole dishes, pour 1/4 of the macaroni and sauce into each smaller casserole dish.
Add all of the shredded chicken; again, if using two smaller casserole dishes, divide the shredded chicken between the two dishes.
Top with the remainder of the macaroni and cheese sauce. If you are freezing one of the casseroles, allow to cool and cover with plastic wrap then foil. Place ½ the panko mixture into a zip lock bag and freeze with the casserole.
Sprinkle the panko crumb mixture on top and bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until browned on top and bubbling. If the topping is browning too much, cover with foil.
Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
What To Serve With Mac and Cheese?
Unless we are taking this dish to a potluck or other gathering, we like to keep it simple with just a salad as a side dish.
Usually a nice big bright green salad, with an Italian dressing. Or, in the spring months, a strawberry salad with a poppy seed dressing is yummy—something to balance the heat and richness of the dish.
Or a homemade Caesar Salad always goes nicely too. In the summer, bring on the Cotija Corn Salad, and in the autumn, a great Fall Harvest Salad works amazing too. Try pairing this Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese with your favorite salad too.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups 3% milk
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup AP flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 5 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
- 1 lb macaroni
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
Panko Crumb Topping
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Butter a 3-quart casserole dish or two smaller dishes. If I do two, I usually will put one in the freezer to have later. You just have to thaw and bake accordingly.
- Toss the panko with the grated Parmesan cheese and melted butter and mix to combine, then set aside.
- Fill a large pot with salted water and heat over high heat.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, mix the shredded chicken and hot sauce until the chicken is well coated, set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, set over medium warm the milk, but do not allow it to boil.
- Melt the 6 Tbsp of butter in a second medium saucepan over medium heat.
- When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the flour and whisk, cooking for 1 minute.
- Continue to whisk while slowly adding the warmed milk a bit at a time until it is all incorporated. Let the mixture thicken and bubble while whisking constantly for 3 – 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat when thickened and add the kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder and onion powder. Whisk to combine.
- Then add the 5 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese and the ½ cup parmesan cheese. Set aside but stir it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the top.
- Once the water is boiling, cook the macaroni as per the package directions to al dente. You will want the pasta slightly undercooked as it will continue to cook in the oven while baking. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce.
- Pour half the macaroni and cheese sauce into the casserole dish; if using two casserole dishes, pour 1/4 of the macaroni and sauce into each smaller casserole dish.
- Add all of the shredded chicken; again, if using two smaller casserole dishes, divide the shredded chicken between the two dishes.
- Top with the remainder of the macaroni and cheese sauce. If you are freezing one of the casseroles, allow to cool and cover with plastic wrap then foil. Place ½ the panko mixture into a zip lock bag and freeze with the casserole.
- Sprinkle the panko crumb mixture on top and bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until browned on top and bubbling. If the topping is browning too much, cover with foil.
- Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
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