Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese combines buffalo chicken and the cheesiness of Macaroni and Cheese to create a perfect and satisfying meal. If you love buffalo chicken, be sure to check out my 10 Fun Twists on Buffalo Chicken for even more recipes!
Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is no longer just for kids. In fact, I even have a Beer Mac and Cheese with Steak Bites! After trying some of my homemade macaroni and cheese recipe (I even have one with bacon), you will never buy a box of it again!
Ingredients & Substitutions
There are three main parts to the Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Recipe. You need to prepare the chicken, make the macaroni and cheese, and add the topping.
Shredded Chicken: I am a huge fan of rotisserie chicken, but sometimes I don’t want to shred it myself. I may be the last person to find out that rotisserie chicken is sometimes prepared, already shredded, in the deli! Bonus!
Buffalo Sauce: Be sure to buy buffalo sauce, not simply hot sauce for this recipe. If you want to make your own buffalo sauce, I have the perfect recipe for you! The nice thing about my Buffalo Sauce is it can be made a little hotter or not as hot, depending on your tolerance.
Ranch Dressing: I used ranch dressing for this recipe, and I just happen to have a homemade ranch dressing recipe you could try! Although I used ranch dressing with this recipe, blue cheese dressing is another dressing that pairs well with buffalo sauce.
Noodles: I love the shape of cavatappi noodles. They are perfect for holding all the cheesy sauce in the macaroni and cheese. You could certainly use other noodles you have like elbow macaroni, penne, or other tubular pasta.
Cheese: Both sharp cheddar chees and mozzarella cheese are used in the macaroni and cheese and as the topping. Yep, it’s cheesy, but in the best and most delicious way! You could try this with your favorite blends of cheese, too.
Topping off the Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
For the topping of the Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, add the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses to the top of your chicken and noodles mixture. Bake at 350°F for about 5 minutes, just to melt the cheese topping. Remove the dish and drizzle on the buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish the dish with parsley, and be ready to wow your family and friends with this ‘winner, winner, Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese dinner’!
How to Get Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
I am on a mission to make sure no one has grainy homemade mac n cheese ever again… and in my research discovered this awesome tip. Do NOT put the pan back over the heat to melt the cheese. The ingredients in the pan are already hot enough to do the job of melting the cheeses. If you get cheese too hot that is when you will end up with a grainy texture. After you have stirred in the cheese, pour the mixture over the cooked noodles and serve.
Storing and Reheating Macaroni and Cheese
To Refrigerate: After the macaroni and cheese has cooled to room temperature, store it in an airtight container. It will last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
To Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the macaroni and cheese in a freezer-safe container. It will last up to 3 months. Be sure to label and date the packaging. When ready to enjoy, first, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheating: To reheat an individual serving, add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of macaroni and cheese, and then heat for 60-90 seconds in the microwave. You could also reheat it on the stovetop. To reheat a larger portion, place macaroni and cheese in an oven-safe dish. Pour in 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of macaroni and cheese, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Stir well before serving.
More Macaroni & Cheese
Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 cup (140 g) shredded cooked rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
Macaroni and Cheese
- 8 ounces cavatappi noodles, cooked al dente and drained
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (490) whole milk, warmed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- ½ cup (56.5 g) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- ¼ cup (28 g) mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
Topping
- ¼ cup (28 g) mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup (28 g) cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon ranch dressing
- parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
Chicken
- Mix chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing in a medium bowl, set aside.
Mac and Cheese
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes (or until the mixture turns light brown).
- Remove from heat and gradually pour in the warm milk, whisking constantly.
- Return the pan to the heat, whisk another 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
- Add the salt, garlic powder, ground mustard, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine.
- Add the cheeses and chicken, stirring to melt.
- Add the noodles. Stir to combine.
Topping
- Top with the mozzarella and cheddar cheese and bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle with ranch and buffalo sauce.
- Garnish with parsley before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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Delicious!!!!
We really enjoyed this recipe. Next time, we are doubling this recipe for leftovers because…. We are going to eat this whole thing TODAY!😁
Love all recipes
My whole family loves this recipe. I always double it and I don’t usually do the baking at the end, because we are in a rush. It is delicious the day of and for leftovers and it is so easy to add more buffalo sauce to and individual serving, for those who like more kick. This will continue to be one of our ‘at least once a month’ recipes!
This was delicious. I added hot buffalo sauce to the roux and added Bleu cheese dressing to top it along with another drizzle of hot buffalo. Perfection!
This is the second time I’ve made this dish. I decided to change it up a little. I didn’t have a rotisserie chicken so I substituted chicken bites. I also used 1/2 pepper jack, 1/2 sharp cheddar. It came out fabulous!
Fantastic recipe! Extra thanks for how to keep the sauce from getting grainy.