Although I cut chicken out of my diet some time ago, I often make this Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese recipe at the request of family and friends. The great thing is, this recipe can be made without the chicken as well and still tastes amazing!
I love just about anything spicy and I add Frank's RedHot® sauce to basically everything! The last time I made this recipe was for a birthday party that I catered for a family friend and it did not last long. Feel free to adjust the level of heat in this recipe according to your preference. I always start with a quarter cup of hot sauce and usually end up adding a little more.
This mac and cheese is thick and creamy with lots of melty cheese. I love to add sour cream this mac and cheese recipes because of the slight tanginess it adds as well as the extra creaminess. The cream cheese also adds to the creamy texture of this mac and cheese. I've also made this recipe with blue cheese crumbles mixed in and it was incredible! I know not everyone is a blue cheese fan so I usually leave it out when making it for large crowds.
A Few Tips for Making Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Be sure cook and cook the flour and butter together for a couple minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
While adding half and half, be sure to whisk constantly so that no clumps form.
I love Franks RedHot sauce in this recipe but feel free to use any other hot sauce brand you prefer.
Leftovers will keep for about three days in the refrigerator stored in an air tight container. My husband always says it tastes better the next day!
You Will Also Love This Southern Mac and Cheese Recipe!
📖 Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half & half
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 4 ounces cream cheese - softened and cut into pieces
- 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup Frank's hot sauce
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes
- Add flour, stir and cook 1-2 minutes to get "floury" taste out
- Gradually whisk in half and half. Bring to a simmer. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard.
- Once thickened, turn heat to low and add cream cheese. Stir until melted.
- Add Monterey Jack cheese and cheddar cheese. Stir until melted.
- Stir in sour cream and hot sauce.
- Add macaroni and chicken to pot with cheese sauce. Stir to combine.
- Top with blue cheese crumbles and drizzle with additional hot sauce if desired.
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