Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

So creamy and packing a perfect amount of heat. This is a great buffalo mac for dinner tonight.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 1017kcal

Author Rachel Ballard

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups cavatappi pasta gluten free works
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour gluten free or regular
2 cups milk raw preferred; almond milk also works
1/2 cup buffalo sauce
2 cups white cheddar grated off a block
1/2 cup Gorgonzola
2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees if you are planning to bake your mac and cheese. If not, you can skip this step.
Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add a big pinch of salt if desired and add the pasta. Cook 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain and set aside in the colander while you make the sauce.
In a heavy bottomed 10 or 12 inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour. Stir to combine with a whisk and cook 1 minute. There should be no pockets of dry flour left.
Add the milk and stir constantly until the mixture starts to bubble and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Turn off the heat and add the hot sauce and stir well.
With the heat still off add the grated cheeses. Stir until the cheese melts. The blue cheese may take longer to melt. It's okay to leave some small chunks.
Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if desired. This depends a lot on how salty your cheeses are.
Add the pasta and chicken and fold everything together. Transfer to a baking dish if your skillet isn't oven safe. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling around the edges or you can just broil the top if you want it to stay creamier.

Notes

To ensure proper seasoning, make sure to taste your sauce after the cheeses are added. Blue and cheddars can vary widely in their salt levels, so add salt according to preference.

A dash of white wine vinegar is a lovely addition to balance the creamy sauce. 1 or 2 teaspoons is usually enough to add some brightness, but remember the buffalo sauce also has vinegar in it.

Nutrition