Jim & Cola Chicken with Buffalo Mac
A sweet and spicy marinated chicken over a bowl of spicy homemade mac & cheese!
Ingredients
- 2 lb Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
- ½ lb Bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1½ lb Short Pasta elbows, shells, rotini
For the Marinade
- 12 oz Cola
- ½ cup Bourbon like Jim Bean
- ½ cup Hot Honey like Mike's
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
- 1 tsp Parsley
- 1 tsp Ginger Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
For the Buffalo Cheese Sauce
- 4 tsp Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 4 tsp Flour
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- ½ cup Buffalo Sauce like Frank's Red Hot
Instructions
- In a gallon-sized zipper bag, combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken and let marinate at least 2 hours (up to 24 hours).
- Start water boiling for pasta.
- In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and remove to a paper towel covered plate. Reserve bacon grease.
- In same saute pan, add chicken pieces and cook each side for 3 minutes. Reserve marinade.
- Reduce heat in saute pan to medium and pour in reserved marinade. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed on package. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Return to pot, away from heat.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and garlic powder. Once melted, whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Then whisk in chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes. Next add heavy cream and cook for 2 minutes. Then add cheeses, one cup at a time, until fully incorporated. Lastly add in buffalo sauce and stir to combine, cook another 2 minutes. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and stir to combine.
- Serve in a shallow bowl starting with portion of buffalo mac. Place 2-3 piece of chicken to one side of bowl, then sprinkle with bacon pieces.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!