I’m almost too giddy to even write this post. Every time I look at the picture of grilled buffalo mac-and-cheese I flash back to the first time (of many) that I made it. Oooey gooey creaminess with a slight char, drizzled with a spicy homemade Buffalo wing sauce. Make no mistake about it, this is some fantastic macaroni-and-cheese.
A Couple Of Tips
There are two things you have to be mindful of when grilling Buffalo mac-and-cheese. First, make sure your mac is set up good before cutting it. You want it a little solid, a little thick. Second, you want to be careful flipping it on the grill. When the cold mac gets hot it’ll want to return to its original creamy state, and fast. Don’t mess around, flip it, char it, and get it on a plate. Time’s a-wastin’!
I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.
Did you know you can also grill cornbread? It’s crazy good too! You can also smoke your mac-and-cheese and really impress everyone.
Grilled Buffalo Mac-and-Cheese
Ingredients
For the macaroni-and-cheese (or substitute the stuff from the box)
- Kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
- 1 cup heavy cream half-and-half also works well
- 1 ounce cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ cup extra sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
- 2-4 slices American cheese
For the Buffalo wing sauce
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cups Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
For the macaroni-and-cheese (if using made-from-the-box mac, make it per package instructions and skip to step 6)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes.
- Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat cream in a large skillet.
- Add cream cheese and salt and stir until cheese is melted.
- Add cheddar and American cheeses and stir until melted.
- Add cooked pasta and stir to coat well.
- Transfer to a container lined with wax paper. Use a container that is small enough that your mac-and-cheese ends up being at least 1″ thick (thicker is better here).
- Place in the fridge and refrigerate at least an hour. You can also place it into the freezer. You want the mac-and-cheese to set up so it can be sliced.
- Fire up your grill for direct cooking.
- Carefully remove the mac-and-cheese from the container and slice thick.
- Transfer to a grill over high heat and grill for just a minute per side, long enough to get grill marks and a bit of a crunch. Do not play with the mac-and-cheese while it’s on the grill or it will crumble. Be careful flipping it. If you lose some, you lose some.
- Transfer to a plate and drizzle with plenty of the Buffalo wing sauce.
For the Buffalo wing sauce
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and continue simmering for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Remove from heat and let cool before using.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
