Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese {4th of July Dish}

A few weeks ago, I made this dish for a friend, Jen, who recently welcomed her first son, Henry James<3

Jen and her family loved this mac and cheese and it’s one of Andrew’s favorites; it is absolutely delicious. It takes a good 40ish minutes to prepare- but it’s so worth it!

It can make a wonderful 4th of July dish!!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

Receipe adapted from Food Network

You Need:

Cooking Spray
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (usually half of a rotisserie chicken)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes or shredded cheese
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons parsley

Few of the ingredients

Do this:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. 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 hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.
In another saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter 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 hot sauce 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 of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni.
Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.
Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.
Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
ENJOY!!!