Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese takes a traditional dish and adds a kick of spice to it. Gluten free pasta with creamy homemade cheddar and Parmesan cheese sauce, mixed with spicy buffalo chicken. Best of all, it’s easy to make! It’s also the perfect recipe for using up leftover rotisserie chicken.
Here’s one of my all-time favorite dishes to make when I have a house full of people to feed, Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. It’s quick, easy, and really versatile. I love making this when I have leftover buffalo sauce – like on game day! Or even for when my family decides to barbecue and I need a dish to bring. It’s also easy to make ahead of time, just save the baking part for last minute.
This recipe also calls for cooked chicken, making it the perfect thing to do with a leftover rotisserie chicken. Oh, the convenience!
The thing about this buffalo chicken mac and cheese is that it is incredibly versatile. Don’t like it spicy? Feel free to substitute your favorite non-spicy sauce instead of the buffalo sauce. Just make sure it’s something that goes with cheese, ok? I recommend ranch dressing, or even some puréed avocado if you want to sneak a vegetable in there!
This recipe makes enough for Drew and I to have leftovers for a few days, but you might want to double it if you have more than 7-8 people to feed. That’s assuming you’re serving something else on the side, that is.
When my family was visiting over Christmas, we had a big grilling day by the pool (because that’s how we roll in the Gulf of Mexico). My dad grilled some steaks and chicken burgers, plenty of veggies, and I supplied the buffalo chicken mac and cheese. We had about 7 people total, and I doubled the recipe, which left us with about half left over.
As an added bonus, we had lunch for the next day! It was nice to have something quick and easy, considering how much wine is involved at my family cookouts. So, it worked out well for everyone.
I used gluten free penne pasta here. I find that anything smaller in the gluten free pasta world just doesn’t hold up as well. The trick is to only cook the pasta until it’s just al dente (still a little bit hard). The cheese sauce will do its magic and the pasta will finish cooking in the oven, so don’t worry!
The only downside to gluten free mac and cheese is that it doesn’t really freeze that well. Unless you’re like me, and you’ll just eat the darn buffalo chicken mac and cheese anyway. In the kitchen, standing over the sink…
In that case, freeze away!
Because we’re getting close to game day here, I’ve decided to share with you exactly what I plan on making! It’s our first big game here in Florida, so I’ll be cooking up a storm and inviting some of our new friends over to watch it with us.
That, and Andrew is really the big football person in this relationship. For me, it’s all about the food. It’s the true meaning of game day, right?
So, here it is!
My Game Day Menu to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Wings with Tequila Chipotle Sauce. Here’s a recipe my dad invented just for this very blog. Of course, it really didn’t take much to convince him to create a bacon wrapped chicken wing soaked in alcohol. It’s the thought that counts, right?
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip. This is a recipe that everybody – and I do mean EVERYBODY – loves to devour every time I serve it. So I’ll be making this ahead of time and popping it in the oven a few minutes before everyone gets here.
- Sweet Potato Fries w/Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce. Alright, I’m really just trying to sneak vegetables in with this one. That, and sweet potato fries are awesome.
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings. Here’s my ultimate favorite wing. It’s not spicy at all, which is a good variety to offer guests who may not enjoy the spicy stuff. But in all seriousness, when I serve these next to regular buffalo wings, these are always gone first.
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili. I saved the best for last here. I’m going to throw this in the crock pot in the morning, then forget about it for the rest of the day. It’s so easy and so tasty, you really can’t go wrong with chili!
I’d love to hear what you’re making for game day. And I hope it involves this buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
But seriously, even if it doesn’t, I still want to know!
…Because I’m nosy. ♡
Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free penne pasta
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
For the Topping
- 2/3 cup plain gluten free breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Equipment
- casserole dish
- sauce pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- Cook macaroni according to package directions until just al dente.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Gradually whisk in salt, pepper, and flour. Continuously whisk until smooth.
- Slowly add milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and whisk until sauce begins to thicken.
- Add buffalo sauce and stir to combine.
- Stir in cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Mix until cheese is completely melted, 1-2 minutes.
- Add macaroni and chicken to baking dish. Pour sauce over macaroni and stir to combine all ingredients.
For the Topping
- Stir together melted butter and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle evenly over macaroni.
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
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