Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe has been showing up all over the internet (or at least everywhere I look) so I had to give it a try. Wow, this is really something. I’m just imagining what was going on in the first test kitchen that made this. Both are comfort foods, and I do consider buffalo wings a comfort food, so I can see the logic behind throwing them together.

Should this recipe go into a regular meal rotation? No. No no no. Look at the ingredients! This is something that should be made for a pot luck or a Super Bowl party. It’s heavy and very rich.  A good portion of this is still sitting in my fridge even though husband and I did our very best over the weekend to finish it.

The recipe is good, don’t get me wrong! If it wasn’t good I wouldn’t share it. But promise me, if you make this you will either half the recipe or share it with a big crowd. A little goes a long way! I cut back on some of the butter and I didn’t make the breadcrumb topping. I don’t like breadcrumbs on top of my macaroni and cheese, call me a purist.

In the future I will:

Use milk instead of half and half.
Use 8 oz. of cheddar.
Or, use 16 oz cheddar and omit the pepper jack.
Use 1/3 c. sour cream
Think really hard about the celery. I get why it’s there but I find it unnecessary.

5 T.  butter

1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 c. chicken, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ c. hot sauce

2 T. flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 ½ c. half-and-half
1 lb. sharp cheddar, shredded
8 oz.  pepper jack, shredded
2/3 c. sour cream
1 c. panko
½ c. blue cheese, crumbled
2 T. parsley, chopped
 
Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about seven minutes. Drain.

Melt one tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about five minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook two minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about one minute.

Melt two tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining hot sauce and stir until thick, about two minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Pour cooked pasta into the cheese sauce and mix until evenly coated. Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni.

Put the remaining two tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni

Bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest ten minutes before serving.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/buffalo-chicken-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/index.html