Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Making homemade mac and cheese is *almost* as easy as the boxed stuff! Add some chicken and give it a kick with some hot sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried macaroni
- 1/2 cup butter + 1/2 tablespoon
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 8 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1/3 cup hot sauce
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, boil water. Cook the macaroni, then drain.
- Warm a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the extra 1/2 tablespoon of butter, then add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle—about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Melt the 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) in the cast-iron skillet. Once melted, slowly sprinkle in the all-purpose flour. Whisk until the flour has dissolved—about 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the milk 1/4 cup at a time, whisking continuously. The sauce will start to thicken, and whisking it will keep it from burning.
- Once all the milk has been incorporated, sprinkle in the salt, then 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese. Whisk until the cheese has fully melted.
- Add in the cooked macaroni, chicken, and buffalo sauce. Stir to combine.
- Turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup shredded cheese on top of the buffalo chicken mac and cheese, then broil for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Want it even spicier? Add in 1/2 cup of hot sauce instead! I like to use Frank's Red Hot.