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Home » Dinner

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Published: Apr 24, 2017 · Modified: Dec 11, 2024 by Kit · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

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A quick and easy recipe for Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese that can be made in just 30 minutes!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is cheesy and spicy and loaded with chunks of chicken. It is a perfect 30 minute recipe that uses leftover chicken.

Yup. I am combining two of everyone's favorite foods to make Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese. It has the best elements of both. It's cheesy and spicy and loaded with chunks of chicken. This is a fun way to repurpose leftover chicken, and it is a dinner that can easily be prepared in under 30 minutes. Plus, it is a crowd-pleasing meal that your friends and family will love.

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is cheesy and spicy and loaded with chunks of chicken. It is a perfect 30 minute recipe that uses leftover chicken.

You can make this recipe with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. The chopped chicken gets soaked in a spicy buffalo sauce and then it gets added to a creamy cheese stovetop macaroni and cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is cheesy and spicy and loaded with chunks of chicken. It is a perfect 30 minute recipe that uses leftover chicken.

I added ⅓ cup of Frank's Hot Sauce to 1 ½ cups of chicken. I thought that this was a nice balance between the spicy and cheesy flavors. The spice from the buffalo sauce does build as you eat it, I would say that the spice level is about a 4 out of 10. If you want extra spice, just add some extra hot sauce!

The cheese sauce is made with a cheddar cheese and a touch of blue cheese. Even though I added just a couple tablespoons of blue cheese you can taste a hint of blue cheese in every bite. The blue cheese really compliments the buffalo sauce while also cutting the heat of the spice.

I used penne rigate because I think it is a little fancier than the traditional elbows. You can use any pasta shape you want. Medium shells are another personal favorite.

The recipe below makes enough to serve 4, but it can easily be doubled to serve more. I think that the leftovers are just as good as the original so I like making extra.

Want a classic mac and cheese recipe? Here is my recipe for creamy cheddar macaroni and cheese!

How to make Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese:

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of Tubular Pasta
  • ¼-1/2 cup of Franks Buffalo Sauce I used ⅓ cup
  • 1 ½ cups of chopped or shredded Chicken
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • 3 tablespoons Flour
  • 2 cups of Milk I used 2%
  • 2 cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 3 tablespoons of Blue Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the box.
  • Place the chicken in a bowl and soak it in the buffalo sauce. Start slow, you can always add more hot sauce later. I used ⅓ cup of the buffalo sauce.
  • Once the pasta is cooking, get to work on the cheese sauce. Start by melting the butter in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Once the butter melts, whisk in the flour, and continue to stir the mixture over the heat for 1 minute. Then add the milk and whisk to incorporate the flour mixture.
  • Bring the milk mixture to a slow and steady boil. Let it boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then add the cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese. Once the cheese melts season with salt and pepper to taste. Then add the buffalo sauce-soaked chicken. Taste the sauce again, and add more buffalo sauce if you like.
  • Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, pour the chicken and cheese sauce over and stir to combine. Serve the macaroni and cheese with a sprinkle of blue cheese on top.

Want to save this buffalo chicken mac and cheese recipe for later? Here is an image for you to save on Pinterest:

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is cheesy and spicy and loaded with chunks of chicken. It is a perfect 30 minute recipe that uses leftover chicken.

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Comments

  1. Christine @ Rustic & Refined says

    May 01, 2017 at 12:57 pm

    Pinning, because I have to try this! Thanks for sharing this at the Dishing It & Digging It Link Party. Have a great week!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 01, 2017 at 3:05 pm

      Thanks for pinning! Hope you love the recipe!
      Reply
  2. Marilyn Lesniak says

    May 06, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful post at #OverTheMoon. I look forward to what you will share next week! Like someone in person today! We hope you’ll come back again next Sunday when we open our doors at 6:00 PM EST. Pinned and tweeted!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 06, 2017 at 8:05 pm

      Thanks so much Marilyn!
      Reply
  3. thenotsocreativecook says

    May 07, 2017 at 5:54 am

    I could eat this whole thing! This looks extremely delicious!! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 07, 2017 at 9:14 pm

      Ummm... I did eat the whole thing! LOL!
      Reply
  4. Monika Dabrowski says

    May 07, 2017 at 7:59 am

    This is such a rich and creamy and delicious looking dish! Thank you for sharing with FF:)
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 07, 2017 at 9:14 pm

      Thanks Monika!
      Reply
  5. Miz Helen says

    May 09, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    Your Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese looks delicious! Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday! Come Back Soon, Miz Helen
    Reply
  6. Kayleigh says

    May 10, 2017 at 12:09 am

    Looks super yummy!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      May 10, 2017 at 1:32 am

      Thanks so much!
      Reply

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Welcome! I'm Kit and The Kittchen is all about my two biggest loves: Food and Travel! Here you can discover delicious and practical everyday recipes, plus travel destinations to feed your wanderlust. Thanks for stopping by!

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