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Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
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5 from 11 votes

Easy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe

This Buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe is so rich and creamy with shredded chicken tossed with melty cheese and tangy Buffalo sauce, so comforting! Every bite is packed with flavor.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blue cheese, Buffalo sauce, cheddar cheese, cream cheese
Servings: 4
Calories: 758kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni noodles (or use your favorite noodles, like cavatapi)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1-2 jalapeno peppers chopped (optional, for a spicier version)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for extra spicy)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or use mozzarella)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or use Mexican crema)
  • 1 cup Buffalo sauce
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (or use cooked chopped chicken)
  • For Serving: Crumbled blue cheese or blue cheese dressing, fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Prepare your macaroni noodles by boiling them in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  • While the noodles are boiling, heat the butter in a large pot to medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour.
  • Add the jalapeno peppers and cook for 3 minutes to soften up the peppers.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings and cook for 1 minute.
  • Slowly pour in the milk (be careful of splatter). Bring to a boil, the reduce heat to simmer. Stir until smooth.
  • Stir in the cream cheese until melted through.
  • Stir in the shredded cheeses a bit at a time until melted through and the sauce is nice and creamy.
  • Stir in the buffalo sauce, shredded chicken, sour cream, and noodles until well combines. Serve!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 758kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 2502mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2646IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 629mg | Iron: 2mg