Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is rich, creamy, and extra cheesy with a little kick!
Everyone’s favorite mac & cheese is turned up a notch with a special blend of cheeses, chicken, and a bit of buffalo sauce. Topped with a buttery bread crumb topping, adults & kids alike love this easy recipe!
I am so excited to have partnered with Cabot Cheese to share this cheesy recipe with you!
A Mac and Cheese You Need to Try!
- Easy enough for every day, but definitely a celebration-worthy dish!
- The sauce is loaded with a rich cheesy flavor with two kinds of Cabot cheese.
- Make it with chicken or sub in your favorite proteins (or even use cauliflower for a buffalo cauliflower mac & cheese).
- Perfect for a potluck or party, and ready in minutes using store-bought or homemade rotisserie chicken!
Ingredients
CHEESE: A beautiful bold cheese sauce is what this dish is all about so you’ll need quality cheese.
Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar stands up beautifully next to buffalo sauce and a bit of Cabot Pepper Jack adds a creamy kick. Not only do these cheeses have a nice bold flavor, but they’re also naturally aged and truly delicious.
In addition to truly making amazing cheese, Cabot is a certified B corporation. This means they meet high standards of social and environmental performance and, as a co-operative of dairy farm families, 100% of the profits go back to the farmers.
CHICKEN: Ready-made rotisserie chicken is a time saver and has a lightly seasoned flavor that works perfectly for this dish. Leftover chicken, smoked sausage, or even boiled chicken breasts work well in this recipe too.
PASTA: Elbow macaroni noodles are the standard for mac and cheese, but a hearty penne, rotini, or farfalle (AKA bowtie), are great pasta shapes that the sauce clings to.
SAUCE: This recipe uses a bit of buffalo sauce in an easy homemade cheese sauce.
Need a Milder Version? Check your hot sauce aisle, there are mild sauces available that still pack a punch of buffalo flavor!
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Cook pasta until al dente, rinse.
- Make a white sauce and stir in the Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses until creamy (per recipe below).
- Add buffalo sauce and stir.
- Combine pasta, chicken, and sauce in a 9×13 dish.
- Sprinkle the topping over the casserole and bake.
Tips for Perfection
- Remember that the pasta will cook more as it bakes so ensure it’s boiled to al dente (firm).
- The sauce is a bit undersalted as the buffalo sauce adds salt. Taste and season once the sauce is mixed.
- This recipe uses buffalo sauce (not just a straight up hot sauce) for the best flavor.
- To kick up the spice, toss in some diced jalapenos or red pepper flakes!
- To tame the spice a little look for a MILD buffalo sauce.
More Mac and Cheese Favorites
(Although really, ALL mac and cheese is my favorite!)
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Homemade Mac and Cheese Casserole
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Homemade One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Baked Jalapeño Mac & Cheese
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- 15 Minute Mac and Cheese
Did you love this mac and cheese as much as we do? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry elbow macaroni
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup light cream
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 cups Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar shredded
- 1 cup Cabot Pepper Jack shredded
- ⅔ cup buffalo sauce
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken cooked and shredded
Topping
- ⅔ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400°F.
-
Cook macaroni al dente in salted water according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
-
While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, mustard powder and, onion powder and cook 1 minute.
-
Add milk and cream a little bit at a time whisking after each addition. The mixture will be very thick at first but will smooth out. Once combined bring to a boil while stirring and let boil 1 minute.
-
Remove from the heat and add Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Cabot pepper jack. Whisk until melted and smooth. Once melted, stir in the buffalo sauce.
-
Combine the cooked macaroni, chicken, and cheese mixture, mix well. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan.
-
Combine topping and sprinkle over the macaroni.
-
Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and the topping is browned
Video
Notes
- Remember that the pasta will cook more as it bakes so ensure it's boiled to al dente (firm).
- The sauce is a bit undersalted as the buffalo sauce adds salt. Taste and season once the sauce is mixed.
- This recipe uses buffalo sauce (not just a straight up hot sauce) for the best flavor.
- To kick up the spice, toss in some diced jalapenos or red pepper flakes!
- To tame the spice a little look for a MILD buffalo sauce.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Chicken, Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Delicious! I used the cheeses we had on hand (sharp cheddar, mozzarella and cream cheese) and it still turned out great. This recipe is versatile and easy!
So happy to hear that, Brynn!
Such a good recipe! My boyfriend and I couldn’t believe how well this turned out. Yum
So happy to hear that, Mar!
Delicious!! My family loves Buffalo chicken and this was the perfect mix especially for a cold day!
I am so happy to hear your family loved this recipe Kate!
This was A-mazing! Came out perfect and so tasty! Followed to a T – except used large shells pasta – and wouldn’t change anything. Thank you Holly, your recipes never disappoint!
You’re welcome, so glad to hear how much you love this mac and cheese Natalie!!
I need to make this gluten-free-any tips on flour replacement in the sauce?
You could try using cornstarch Amy. Let us know if you try it!
Doubled the recipe because I was afraid it wouldn’t be enough and it was so delicious! Next time I’ll save myself some time and use shredded sharp cheddar :)
Don’t use pre shredded cheeses. There is a coating on it to keep the shreds separated that can change how it melts and leave your sauce grainy. Better to just spend the extra little bit of time doing it yourself.
Can this casserole be frozen?
We haven’t tried freezing this casserole Colin. Let us know how it goes if you try freezing it!
Nice blog to follow while preparing recipes.Thank you so much for sharing with us.
You’re welcome Desicart!