Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Delicious roasted chicken added with buffalo hot sauce to a classic mac & cheese
Ingredients
- 1½ lb Elbow Pasta
- 6 Chicken Thighs bone-in, skin-off
- 2 tbsp Ranch Seasoning see recipe below
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 3 stalks Green Onion chopped
For the Cheese Sauce
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 4 tbsp Flour
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Mustard
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1 tbsp Ranch Seasoning
- ½ cup Buffalo Hot Sauce plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400degF.
- Add chicken thighs to a bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat then sprinkle with ranch seasoning. Toss again. Line out on a baking rack over a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Add to oven and roast for 40 minutes.
- Start water boiling for the pasta.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed on the package. Drain in a colander and return to pot away from heat.
- In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add butter, onion powder and garlic powder. Once melted whisk in flour. Let cook for two minutes then whisk in milk and let cook for two minutes then whisk in remaining seasonings and cook another two minutes. Add in hot sauce then whisk in heavy cream and cook another two minutes. Then add in cheese, a handful at a time, whisking until it's melted in.
- Remove chicken from oven. Remove meat from bones and then chop chicken.
- Add cheese sauce to pasta and stir to thoroughly combine. Then add chopped chicken and stir again.
- Add portion of mac & cheese to serving bowl. Drizzle with hot sauce (if desired). Top with green onions.
Notes
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