Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
User Reviews
5
Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Description
The recipe begins by cooking bacon until crispy, reserving the flavorful bacon grease, and then sautéing diced onion and sliced jalapeños in the grease to soften and develop flavor. Meanwhile, elbow macaroni is cooked just short of al dente to ensure it maintains texture after baking.
A roux-based cheese sauce is made by melting butter and whisking in flour, followed by milk and heavy cream, which is heated until thickened. Cream cheese and hot sauce are melted into the base for richness and buffalo-style heat. A blend of cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, and blue cheeses is stirred in along with optionally shredded cooked chicken, combining a variety of cheeses to balance sharpness, creaminess, and mild pungency.
The cooked pasta and vegetable mixture is incorporated into the sauce and transferred to a buttered baking dish. The dish is topped with crushed corn flakes, blue cheese crumbles, and crumbled bacon for a layered texture and flavor contrast. Baking develops a golden crust atop the creamy macaroni and cheese, uniting the buffalo chicken influence with traditional comfort food.
Ingredients
- 4 lices Bacon
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease reserved from said bacon
- 1/2 large onion diced, about 1 1/4 cups
- 2 jalapeños sliced, ribs and seeds removed
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
for the sauce-
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk whole or 2% please
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce such as Frank’s Red Hot
- 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 1/4 cup provolone cheese grated
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1 cup chicken optional, precooked and shredded
for the topping-
- 1 cup corn flakes crushed
- 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
- Bacon as listed above, cooked
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and crumble. Pour off excess bacon drippings, keeping 2 tablespoons in the pan. Place skillet back on heat and saute onion and jalapenos until soft, about 6 minutes over medium heat. Set aside.
- Bring large pot of water to boil. Salt water generously and cook pasta 2 minutes short of package directions. You want the macaroni to be very al dente, but not still crunchy. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Increase heat to medium high and continue mixing until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Stir in cream cheese and hot sauce until melted smoothly into the sauce. Pour cooked pasta and sauteed onions and jalapenos into the sauce. Stir to coat. Stir in cheeses and chicken.
- Pour into a buttered baking dish {9×9, 9×13, or somewhere in between should be good} and spread out evenly. Top with blue cheese, corn flakes and crumbled bacon.
- Bake 20-30 minutes until top of macaroni has browned. Remove from oven, top with parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 965 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 965kcal | 48% |
| Carbohydrates | 73g | 24% |
| Protein | 40g | 80% |
| Fat | 57g | 88% |
| Saturated Fat | 31g | 155% |
| Cholesterol | 158mg | 53% |
| Sodium | 990mg | 41% |
| Potassium | 507mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 1544IU | 31% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 675mg | 68% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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