Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

First, go ahead and enter LeMoine Family Kitchens fabulous giveaway going on now!!!!! Enter to win a beautiful serving bowl, gourmet pasta, herbs de provence, garlic infused olive oil & pomegranate balsamic vinegar! 

Spicy food lovers, this one is for you :: Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese!!! 

First, I must credit my darling friend Natalie! You need to go check out her FB page, The Dinner Club! So, I don't know what it is but from the point of being preggo with baby number 2 and still 19 months later, I have had a new love of buffalo sauce. Lucky for me, my brothers and sis in law (not so much my hubs) love a little spice, so they were invited over for this dinner! 

This recipe is certainly budget friendly and packs a spicy kick in the butt! There are several steps to it but the end result is so worth it! The chicken breasts are poached {double duty- homemade chicken broth}, soaked in buffalo sauce, tossed with pasta and a cheesy buffalo sauce and topped with chipotle seasoned bread crumbs.... YUM!!!!! 

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

2 chicken breasts

some bits of onion, celery, carrots and garlic for the poaching liquid

5 Tbsp butter, divided

3/4 cup Franks Red Hot, divided 

1 lb elbow pasta, cooked very al dente

1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 Tbsp flour

1 cup broth

2 cups milk, slightly warmed 

approx 1/2 cup chipotle seasoned bread crumbs (found by the regular breadcrumbs)

{you may be wondering where is the bleu cheese, right? I know buffalo chicken and bleu cheese are always paired but I just don't like the stinky cheese}

Oven at 375 degrees. 

Lets start with the poaching liquid. In a medium sized pot fill it about 3/4 up with water. Add in some carrots, celery, onion and garlic cloves, season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  

Lower the heat so the water is barely at a simmer and add in the chicken breasts and poach for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is  cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on cutting board. Allow the broth to simmer for another 20 minutes. Set aside, you will have extra to save too!

 In a small pan, over medium low heat, melt 2 Tbsp of butter and 1/2 cup of the hot sauce. Using two forks shred the chicken. Toss the shredded chicken in the buffalo sauce. 

In a pot, over medium low heat, add in 3 Tbsp butter. Once melted whisk in the flour. Once that two are combined allow to cook for a minute or two. You now have a roux (your thickening agent), fancy word for butter and flour isn't it! 

Whisk in 1 cup of your beautiful broth, milk and 1/4 cup of the hot sauce. Continue to whisk until everything is combined and smooth. Simmer until slightly thickened. Slowly add in the shredded cheese, again stirring until smooth. 

In a large baking pan toss together the al dente cooked pasta, the shredded buffalo chicken and the cheesy buffalo sauce. Top with some chipotle bread crumb. 

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and browned. 

I served mine with a simple salad of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, crumbled bacon, croutons and ranch dressing. 

HAPPY EATS!!!

*this is my original recipe*