Fire-Eater Chicken Mac-and-Cheese

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I made a big ole batch of fire-eater chicken the other day. It has a really nice kick to it. Besides sandwiches and other great uses for the chicken, I made this insanely good fire-eater chicken mac-and-cheese. It’s based on a Buffalo chicken mac-and-cheese recipe, so you know that it’s great. And you don’t have to use fire-eater chicken, any roasted (or rotisserie) chicken will do, but I highly recommend the kicked-up flavor of the fire-eater version.

Fire-Eater Chicken Mac-and-Cheese

This fire-eater chicken mac-and-cheese is creamy, like it should be. And crunchy, thanks to the celery and panko breadcrumbs. And it has a kick to it. Just like I like.

Fire-Eater Chicken Mac-and-Cheese
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5 from 1 vote

Fire-Eater Chicken Mac-and-Cheese

I made this insanely good fire-eater chicken mac-and-cheese. It’s based on a Buffalo chicken mac-and-cheese recipe, so you know that it’s great. 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese, spicy
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 844kcal

Ingredients

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
  • 3 cups fire-eater chicken shredded or chopped , or substitute rotisserie chicken
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¾ cup hot sauce or Buffalo wing sauce, divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 ½ cups half-and-half
  • 1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 8 ounces pepper jack cheese shredded (about 2 cups)
  • cup sour cream
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup blue cheese crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F.
  • Salt a large pot of water and cook the macaroni until al denta, about 7 minutes. Drain well.
  • Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the celery and onion. Cook until soft, 5 minutes.
  • Add the chicken and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
  • Add 1/2 cup of the hot or wing sauce and stir. Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly.
  • In another small skillet or saucepan, melt 2 more tablespoons of the butter.
  • Whisk in the flour and mustard until smooth.
  • Slow pour in the half-and-half while whisking continuously.
  • Whisk in the remaining hot or wing sauce and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and sour cream until the cheese melts and the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour half of the macaroni into the baking dish and spread out evenly.
  • Top with the chicken mixture.
  • Add the remaining macaroni.
  • Pour the cheese mixture over the top and spread out evenly.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Add the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Stir and pour evenly over the top of the macaroni mixture.
  • Bake 30-40 minutes or until bubbly hot.
  • Let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 844kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 1324mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1666IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 802mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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