I also read that Denver is known for their macaroni & cheese. Interesting and fitting since I LOVE mac & cheese. I mean, who doesn't, right? So I put a new spin on my mac & cheese recipe that was perfect for football watching, and made Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese. Check out the other Super Bowl Snacks that we made and find the recipe on What Micky Eats...At Home.Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese
- 1 lb. pasta
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- ¾ cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 2 cups milk
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 oz monterey jack, shredded
- salt & black pepper, to taste
- seasoned panko bread crumbs
- bleu cheese crumbles, optional
- In a bowl, toss the chicken with half of the the hot sauce. Set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour, milk, and remaining hot sauce until thickened. Simmer.
- Stir in all of the cheese. Season with salt & pepper, and stir until smooth.
- Place the pasta into a casserole dish. Top with chicken mixture, and then pour all the cheese sauce evenly over the top.
- Gently fold sauce into pasta and chicken to mix thoroughly.
- Sprinkle top with seasoned panko bread crumbs and/or bleu cheese crumbles.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Wow! The Buffalo sauce really came through and gave a nice subtle heat to the meat and pasta. I ended up using a whole Tabasco-sized bottle. I didn't have any bleu cheese on hand, so omitted it, but it probably would have been a nice touch and added that extra oomph of Buffalo-chicken-ness to the dish. Overall, this cheese sauce was the most creamy and cheesy that I've made, and we had plenty leftover to bring in to work for lunch this week.
