Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

I know. It sounds totally bizarre. I saw it in my Food Network magazine back in April and was just as skeptical. Last weekend we spent time with my parents and my mom raved about it! I figured I would add it to the weekly menu and see what all the fuss was about. We are big fans of buffalo chicken and mac & cheese. It was good, but I have to admit that I thought the "buffalo" was a little overwhelming. I think part of the problem might have been that 1. I didn't use pepper jack cheese, just regular monterey jack, since I belated found out that mine was out of date and 2. I didn't use bleu cheese on top as we are not fans. We will definitely be eating it again as hubby gave it two-thumbs up. I'll just remember to use pepper jack next time! 

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

1/2 of a small onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup plus 2 TBS hot sauce (preferably Frank's)

1 TBS all-purpose flour

1 tsp dry mustard

1 1/4 cups fat-free half-and-half

1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese 

1/3 cup light sour cream

1 cup ranch croutons, crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 casserole dish.

Melt 2 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/4 cup hot sauce and simmer until well mixed.

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and spray with cool water. 

In a large bowl, put the cooked macaroni and chicken mixture. Set aside.

Melt 1 TBS butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 2 TBS hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.   

Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and chicken mixture. Stir until it is well mixed and put it in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with crushed croutons.

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!