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

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 844kcal

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)
⅔ cup sour cream
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup blue cheese crumbled
2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Salt a large pot of water and cook the macaroni until al dente, 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.

Drizzle with a bit of hot sauce for a nice kick!