Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Baked Buffalo chicken mac and cheese is a little spicy, ultra-creamy, cheesy, rich comfort food that can be made in 30 minutes. The classic buffalo chicken dip flavors in mac and cheese make your taste buds dance happily.

Make this buffalo chicken meatballs a great appetizer that uses buffalo hot sauce.

Why you’ll love this recipe?

1. It delivers everything you love in the classic buffalo chicken dip.
2. Baked mac and cheese with an extra kick of flavor.
3. Ultimate comfort food that can be made in 30 minutes.
4. The flavors can be tailored to suit your tastebuds.
5. It’s the perfect dinner idea when you are craving something different.
6. Take to for potluck or picnics, it’s a show-stopping dish just like this low carb buffalo chicken stuffed zucchini boats.

Ingredients

1. Pasta—Macaroni, shell pasta, orecchiette, cavatappi, rotini, farfalle, and rigatoni are the best noodles to use because they help hold the cheesy sauce.
2. Flour – All-purpose flour is needed to make a roux for the creamy sauce for pasta.
3. Sour cream and cream cheese – to make buffalo chicken mac and cheese extra rich and creamy use both cream cheese and sour cream.
4. Cheese – Use good quality sharp cheddar and freshly grated mozzarella cheese. Shred cheese from the block instead of buying pre-shredded cheese from a bag. Pre-shredded cheese has fillers (non-caking agents) that will prevent the cheese from melting and cause the sauce to turn grainy.
5. Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard (or mustard powder), salt and pepper to season the creamy sauce.
6. Buffalo hot sauce – Franks buffalo hot sauce is the best choice, it adds fiery, zesty heat to the pasta dish.
7. Chicken – use cooked and shredded chicken. You can use homemade instant pot whole chicken rotisserie style and shred it before using it in the recipe. You may use any leftover chicken or to save time use store-bought rotisserie chicken.
8. Panko breadcrumbs – to create a crispy breadcrumb topping.

Ingredients additions and substitutions

Use any short pasta that is perfect to absorb the cheesy sauce.

For a gluten-free option use gluten-free flour or swap with cornstarch.

You can swap chicken for cooked shrimp.

For lighter creamy sauce substitute cream cheese + sour cream with full-fat Greek yogurt.

Technically you can use any hot sauce in the recipe.

Step-by-step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cook macaroni noodles as per packet instructions. Ensure to cook pasta al-dente (stop cooking pasta 3-5 minutes before packet instructions). Pasta will continue to cook when you bake it with panko topping.

Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooked water, drain the pasta, and set aside.

Step 1: In a large pot melt butter, and add flour.

Step 2: Cook it on medium-low flame with constant whisking for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 3: When a smooth paste is formed, add milk and continuously whisk it. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, don’t stop whisking as the sauce might get burnt at the bottom.

Step 4: Add the spices – onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined.

Step 5: Add sour cream, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and shredded sharp cheddar. Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding pasta cooked water a little at a time.

Step 6: Mix well and cook on low heat until the cheese melts and blends with the sauce.

Step 7: Add hot sauce to the pot.

Step 8: Mix well.

Step 9: Add shredded cooked chicken, and al-dente cooked macaroni.

Step 10: Stir well until coated in the sauce.

Step 11: For panko topping add panko breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt, and a generous pinch of pepper together.

Step 12: Mix well and set aside.

Step 13: Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by greasing it with butter.

Step 14: Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle panko breadcrumbs using a spoon evenly on top of macaroni. Transfer to the oven and bake at 350F for about 12-15 minutes or until the panko toppings is browned.

Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this buffalo chicken mac and cheese as it is or pair it with a salad or bread.

Serve with a salad like fresh chopped salad, roasted butternut squash salad , or egg salad.

Bread like cheddar drop biscuits, garlic bread, buttermilk cornbread.

Roasted veggies like roasted broccoli, roasted leeks, savory sweet potatoes, and roasted parsnips.

Tips

1. Always cook pasta al-dente.
2. Shred cheese from the block instead of buying pre-shredded cheese from a bag. Pre-shredded cheese has fillers (non-caking agents) that will prevent the cheese from melting and cause the sauce to turn grainy.
3. Allow cheese to come to room temperature before starting the recipe to ensure the creamy consistency of the sauce.
4. Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding pasta cooked water a little at a time.
5. You can swap chicken for cooked shrimp.

Storage and reheating

If you have leftovers store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. When ready to serve, warm pasta on the stovetop, and add a splash of milk while reheating if the pasta sauce is thick.

Recipe FAQs

5 from 1 vote

📋Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Jyothi Rajesh

Baked Buffalo chicken mac and cheese is a little spicy, ultra-creamy, cheesy, rich comfort food that can be made in 30 minutes. The classic buffalo chicken dip flavors in mac and cheese make your taste buds dance happily.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, pasta

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 415

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 oz macaroni
• ▢ 1+ 1 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 cups milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground mustard
• ▢ 4 oz cream cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• ▢ 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• ▢ ½ cup buffalo hot sauce
• ▢ 1 ½ cup cooked chicken shredded
• ▢ Parsley for garnish

For panko topping:

• ▢ ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

 

• Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by greasing it with butter. Preheat oven to 350F.
• Cook macaroni noodles as per packet instructions. Ensure to cook pasta al-dente (stop cooking pasta 3-5 minutes before packet instructions). Pasta will continue to cook when you bake it with panko topping.
• Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooked water, drain the pasta, and set aside.
• In a large pot melt butter, add flour, and cook it on medium-low flame with constant whisking for about 1 to 2 minutes.
• When a smooth paste is formed, add milk and continuously whisk it. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, don’t stop whisking as the sauce might get burnt at the bottom.
• Add the spices – onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined.
• Add sour cream, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and shredded sharp cheddar. Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding pasta cooked water a little at a time.
• Mix well and cook on low heat until the cheese melts and blends with the sauce.
• Mix the hot sauce with the cream sauce.
• Add shredded cooked chicken, and al-dente cooked macaroni and stir well until coated in the sauce.
• Pour into the prepared baking dish.
• Prepare panko topping by mixing panko breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt, a generous pinch of pepper, and olive oil.
• Sprinkle panko breadcrumbs using a spoon evenly on top of macaroni.
• Transfer to the oven and bake at 350F for about 12-15 minutes or until the panko toppings is browned.
• Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Notes

1. Always cook pasta al-dente.
2. Shred cheese from the block instead of buying pre-shredded cheese from a bag. Pre-shredded cheese has fillers (non-caking agents) that will prevent the cheese from melting and cause the sauce to turn grainy.
3. Allow cheese to come to room temperature before starting the recipe to ensure the creamy consistency of the sauce.
4. Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding pasta cooked water a little at a time.
5. You can swap chicken for cooked shrimp.

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 22gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 950mgPotassium: 288mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 636IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 321mgIron: 1mg

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