Description
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food that delights your taste buds with its creamy texture and spicy flavor. This mouthwatering dish features tender elbow macaroni enveloped in a rich, cheesy sauce, topped with succulent chicken and a crispy panko breadcrumb layer. Perfect for game nights, cozy dinners, or gatherings, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that brings everyone back for seconds!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)
- Ranch dressing (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350?F (175?C). Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Boil salted water in a large pot and cook elbow macaroni until al dente; drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a skillet over medium heat, saut? chicken with salt and pepper until cooked through (about 5 minutes).
- Add buffalo sauce, cream cheese, milk, and half of the cheddar to the skillet; stir on low heat until creamy.
- Mix in drained macaroni and reserved pasta water until well combined.
- Transfer to a greased baking dish; top with remaining cheddar and panko breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240g)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 930mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 85mg