Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese combines my best cheesy macaroni recipe, hot wing sauce and crispy chicken for the ultimate comfort food!
Can’t decide between Buffalo Chicken Wings or Baked Macaroni and Cheese for Dinner? Well, why not have both in this spicy, cheesy, delicious pasta dish?
Sabrina’s Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
This macaroni is a deliciously indulgent and satisfying dish that combines creamy mac and cheese with spicy buffalo chicken pieces. It’s the perfect meal to whip up when you’re in the mood for some comfort food. It’s also crowd-pleasing for parties and potlucks because it’s filled with flavors everyone craves. It can even be made ahead and frozen, so you always have a delicious dinner ready to throw in the oven on busy nights!
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 5 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese , freshly shredded (and divided)
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese
- 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 16 ounces chicken nuggets , diced
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup chives , finely minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Shred the cheddar cheese fresh: keeping 2 cups of the cheddar off to the side for the topping.*
- Cook the pasta two minutes shy of the instructions, rinse and let cool. (We don’t want the extra starch of the water making the mac and cheese too thick)
- Add the butter to a large stockpot and melt on medium-low heat.
- Add the flour, mustard, cayenne and paprika and whisk together until fully combined, cook for an additional 15 seconds.
- Add the milk slowly while whisking to keep the mixture well combined, then add in the ¼ cup Frank's red hot sauce.
- Add in the salt and pepper and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat.
- Remove 1 cup of the milk mixture and let cool for a 3-5 minutes in the refrigerator in a larger glass measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the eggs to the cooled milk and whisk it well until fully combined.
- Turn the heat on the pot back on to medium-low.
- Slowly pour the egg and milk mixture into the rest of the milk while whisking very well.**
- Add in the sharp cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese and blue cheese, whisking until combined.
- Add the cooled macaroni back into the pot and toss with the cheese sauce and the chicken nuggets.
- Pour into a 9×13 baking dish and top with the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Top with Frank's Hot Sauce, crumbled blue cheese and chives and serve.
Notes
* I use blocks of cheese for my mac and cheese because shredded cheese is coated in a powder that prevents the cheese from sticking to each other. This also results in cheese that may not melt as fully which can produce a texture that is not as creamy as I like.
** Removing and cooling a cup of milk then adding the egg to the cooler milk is called tempering, which prevents the eggs from immediately scrambling in the hot milk mixture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 774kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1853mg | Potassium: 890mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1375IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 637mg | Iron: 2mg
