Easy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 ounces dry elbow macaroni noodles (or use your favorite noodles, like cavatapi)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1-2 jalapeno peppers (chopped (optional, for a spicier version)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for extra spicy)

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups milk

4 ounces cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or use mozzarella)

1/2 cup sour cream (or use Mexican crema)

1 cup Buffalo sauce

2 cups cooked shredded chicken (or use cooked chopped chicken)

For Serving: Crumbled blue cheese or blue cheese dressing, fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes

Directions

Noodles

Prepare your macaroni noodles by boiling them in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Roux

While the noodles are boiling, heat the butter in a large pot to medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour.

Peppers

Add the jalapeno peppers and cook for 3 minutes to soften up the peppers.

Tomato

Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings and cook for 1 minute.

Milk

Slowly pour in the milk (be careful of splatter). Bring to a boil, the reduce heat to simmer. Stir until smooth.

Cream Cheese

Stir in the cream cheese until melted through.

Shredded Cheese

Stir in the shredded cheeses a bit at a time until melted through and the sauce is nice and creamy.

Serve

Stir in the buffalo sauce, shredded chicken, sour cream, and noodles until well combines. Serve!

Nutrition

• Calories: 758 kcal
• Total Fat: 48 g
• Saturated Fat: 28 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
• Trans Fat: 0.3 g
• Cholesterol: 136 mg
• Sodium: 2502 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 58 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 10 g
• Protein: 27 g