Spice up your life and make this buffalo chicken mac and cheese! This dish is versatile enough to be served as an appetizer, but packs enough protein for a main dish. Also perfect as a holiday or gameday appetizer! Let’s show you how to make Buffalo chicken mac and cheese…
Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
The ingredients for a delectable Buffalo chicken mac and cheese are as follows:
- Macaroni noodles
- Rotisserie chicken
- Buffalo sauce
- Cheddar cheese
- Pepper jack cheese
- Blue cheese dressing
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Flour
- Butter
- Seasonings
Cook Those Noodles
Bring a pot of water to a boil and put in 16 ounces of elbow macaroni noodles. Stir occasionally until the noodles are al dente (“firm to the bite”).
Each package of noodles have different cooking times. For example, the Trader Joe’s elbows that I use only take six minutes. Others take eight to ten minutes.
Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Place in a 12” cast iron skillet and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. This will keep the noodles from sticking together in clumps while we move onto the next step.
Making the Buffalo Cheese Sauce
The Buffalo cheese sauce is super easy to make. Start out making a roux (melted fat and flour mixed) by melting a stick of butter (1/2 Cup) in a large pot over low heat. Add a half cup of flour and whisk until thickened.
Next, add two cups of heavy cream and one cup of milk, along with equal parts salt and pepper. Turn heat up to medium as the milk and heavy cream will be cold. Still occasionally until thickened and slightly bubbling. Then add two cups of shredded cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese. Stir until cheeses are melted.
Finally, add a half cup of Buffalo sauce such as Frank’s Red Hot. Mix well until it becomes a smooth orange color. The Buffalo sauce is tasty good when blended in mac and cheese.
Mac, Meet Cheese
With the cooked noodles already cooled and in the cast iron skillet, put two cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and some blue cheese dressing on top. Pour on the Buffalo cheese sauce and stir until the noodles are all covered with sauce.
Top the Buffalo chicken mac and cheese with a little of both shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheeses.
How Long to Cook Mac and Cheese in a Wood Fired Pizza Oven?
Recipes vary for how long to cook Mac and cheese in a wood fired oven. I’ve seen some say upwards of 40 minutes. But in my experience, using a smaller wood fired pizza oven, such as a Yoder or Gozney, takes a lot less time.
I get perfect results in 15 minutes. When it comes off the wood fired oven, there’s a crispy layer of cheese on top with a warm bed of saucy noodles underneath.
What Else Do I Put in Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese?
When the cast iron skillet comes out of the oven, I like to let it rest for five minutes before drizzling more Buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing on top. For more texture and flavor, also top with Gorgonzola cheese crumbles.
How Long is Buffalo Chicken Mac n Cheese Good For?
When stored in a sealed, airtight container, this Buffalo mac and cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Can This Recipe Also be Made in the Oven?
Absolutely! Cook it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then switch to broil until a crispy golden brown layer is created on top.
Similar Recipes to Try
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Spice up your life with Buffalo chicken mac and cheese! Great as a side or a main dish, this protein packed mac combines three different types of cheese with shredded chicken and buffalo sauce.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. elbow macaroni noodles
- 1/2 Cup butter
- 1/2 Cup flour
- 2 Cups heavy cream
- 1 Cup whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1/3 Cup buffalo sauce
- 2 Cups rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 Cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 Cup blue cheese dressing
- 1/2 Cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat wood fired oven (or propane pizza oven) to 350 degrees over indirect heat.
- Boil macaroni noodles in a pot of lightly salted water. drain and rinse with cool water. Drain again and place in large bowl with olive oil. Set aside.
- Make cheese sauce by melting butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add flour and stir with a whisk to create a roux. Add heavy cream, whole milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir and add cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese. Stir until thickened. Add buffalo sauce and stir until cheese sauce is one reddish-orange color.
- In large bowl with cooked macaroni noodles, mix in cheese sauce and shredded rotisserie chicken. Pour into a lightly oiled 12-inch cast iron skillet. Top with more shredded cheeses and bread crumbs.
- Place cast iron skillet in oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove, rest for five minutes to let cool. Drizzle top with blue cheese dressing and Buffalo sauce and serve.
Notes
- You can also make this recipe in an oven or grill over indirect heat.
- Amp up the heat by adding a spicy hot sauce to the cheese sauce while cooking.
- When using the rotisserie chicken, white meat is preferred (but not required).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 ouncesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 510Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 910mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 27g
NOTE: Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
