This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is made with elbow macaroni, canned chicken, buffalo sauce, and cheese. It is an easy to make, creamy and delicious, oven baked casserole with just enough heat and is pure comfort food for the buffalo flavor fan.
I love to serve this Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese blue cheese crumbles sprinkled over top to my family warm out of the oven. It is a great dinner option but is also great to make for those tailgating or homegating parties during football season.
The Love Affair With Buffalo Flavors
One the chicken wings with buffalo sauce became popular, it seems like the whole world exploded with everything buffalo flavor and the world became infatuated with buffalo style everything!
We are some of those people who became buffalo style fans. The first time I ever made this Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese casserole was for an employee function. Everyone went crazy over the casserole and there wasn't a bit leftover at the end of the function.
What You Need To Make Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
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Macaroni - my choice of pasta for this dish is elbow macaroni. It's the traditional pasta to use for macaroni and cheese.
Buffalo sauce - this is my favorite buffalo style hot sauce.
Canned Chicken makes this an even easier recipe. Just open a can, drain, shred with the fork slightly and stir into the sauce!
Tips and Substitutions
- Use gluten free macaroni for a gluten free recipe
- Use a combination of cheeses in place of the cheddar cheese. Good cheese to use would be colby, smoked gouda, and mozzarella
- Substitute 4 ounces of velveeta cheese for 1 cup of the cheddar cheese for a creamier cheesier version.
- Use any of your favorite pasta styles. I recommend shells, or spirals. They will catch the sauce in the pockets and swirls.
- Substitute 2 cups of leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken for the canned chicken
- Stir ½ cup of blue cheese crumbles in with the cheese or add ½ cup of blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing to the sauce.
More Buffalo Style Recipes To Make
Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
Buffalo and Blue Cheese Stuffed Button Mushrooms
Creamy Ranch Buffalo Chicken Dip
Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce
Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Buffalo Blue Cheese Potato Croquettes
*If you made this recipe, please give it a star rating*
📖 Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni , cooked according to package
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cold milk
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 12.5 ounces canned chicken chunks , drained
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles , optional
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent and butter has browned.
- Add the flour, salt, and pepper to the onion mixture and whisk, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually pour the milk and hot sauce into the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thick and bubbly. Stir in the chicken and cheese until melted.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to coat.
- Transfer the macaroni and cheese mixture to a 2-quart casserole and sprinkle with bread crumbs and blue cheese crumbles (if using).
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until cheese sauce is bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Tips and Substitutions
- Use gluten free macaroni for a gluten free recipe
- Use a combination of cheeses in place of the cheddar cheese. Good cheese to use would be colby, smoked gouda, and mozzarella
- Substitute 4 ounces of velveeta cheese for 1 cup of the cheddar cheese for a creamier cheesier version.
- Use any of your favorite pasta styles. I recommend shells, or spirals. They will catch the sauce in the pockets and swirls.
- Substitute 2 cups of leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken for the canned chicken
- Stir ½ cup of blue cheese crumbles in with the cheese or add ½ cup of blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing to the sauce
Michele says
Did I miss where in the recipe it says when to add the buffalo sauce?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Michele, the hot sauce is added with the milk.