Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese, it’s a household favorite at our house! This dish has all the heat and flavor of buffalo wings, blue cheese, and ranch to top. What completes the dish is the comfort of rich Mac & Cheese. The best part…the pasta used in this recipe is gluten-free, high protein, and made from Non-GMO chickpeas. That's right, chickpeas! What a great way to add variety to your family meals without anyone knowing! This meal is super quick to make, making it a perfect meal for busy week nights!
My husband claims this as his favorite recipes. One reason he loves this recipe is the fact that the flavors enhance in the fridge overnight. This means he has substantial meals for his work lunchbox. Could this buffalo mac be a great weekend dinner and meal prep? You bet! As always, enjoy and I look forward to hearing your comments.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- 8 oz Your favorite noodles (I used Banza Cavatappi noodles. These noodles add a little extra fiber to your meal and they taste great!)
- 1 cup Cooked Shredded Chicken
- 1/3 cup Buffalo sauce (Whatever your favorite brand of buffalo sauce!))
- 1/3 cup Ranch (plus extra for topping)
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika (Optional)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Butter (not salted)
- 1 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 2 cup Milk (Whole, 2%, 1%, Half & Half, or Heavy Cream will work)
- 1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 cup Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese
- 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs (Regular Bread Crumbs will also work)
- 1/4-1/2 cup Blue Cheese Crumbles (Or Gorgonzola cheese crumbs work as well)
- Cook the noodles according to the directions. Put to the side.
- While the noodles are cooking, In a separate bowl, mix the shredded chicken, Buffalo sauce, and ranch in a separate bowl. Set to the side.
- In a medium sized saucepan on medium high heat, melt the butter.
- Once melted, whisk in flour to make a roux. Stir for 30-60 seconds until it thickens.
- Whisk in the milk. Continuously whisk until smooth.
- Add cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and paprika to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and whisk.
- Bring to a low medium heat and slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar. Do not pour the cheese in too fast or else it will give the cheese a weird texture. Continuously whisk until smooth.
- Preheat oven to Broil 550.
- Add the chicken mixture and the noodles to the cheese sauce. Stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Grease a 8 x 11 baking pan.
- Pour the noodle mixture into the pan. Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs on top. Add the mozzarella and blue cheese crumbles to the top. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs over the cheese.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes on broil. Remove once the cheese is golden brown on top.
- Cool for 2-4 minutes. Serve. Simply Enjoy!