Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese


I absolutely LOVE anything and everything that involves buffalo chicken! But you already knew that didn't you? So, when I saw this recipe in Food Network Magazine awhile ago, I knew I had to try it! It was really easy to make, although I did manage to dirty quite a few dishes :)

Here are some photos, followed by the full recipe:

First you chop the onion and celery.
Saute in butter...
Add chicken and Franks hot sauce.
In another pan, melt butter, add flour and dry mustard, half and half, two kinds of cheese, and sour cream!
Put half of macaroni, or whatever type of pasta you want to use (I chose the spiral kind because they had it in whole grain and on sale!) in a dish, top with the chicken mixture, then the other half of the pasta, and pour the cheese sauce on top.
Cover with bread crumb mixture and bake!
Seriously, it's insanely good!

This recipe is enough to fill an entire 9x13 baking dish. I cut the recipe in half and it still makes a ton of food!

7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni, or other pasta
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce, divided
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2.5 cups half and half
1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the over to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to al dente directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 Tablespoons 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 1/2 cup Franks and simmer about 1 minute.

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half and half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup Franks and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and then the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top. Put the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko bread crumbs, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni. Bake until bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. If you're like me, you'll want to top your macaroni with extra Franks and serve with extra sour cream on the side :)

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