Buffalo Rooster Mac and Cheese
6 min read
My creamy buffalo hen mac and cheese is topped off with a buttery toasted panko for next-level taste. It’s fast to make in simply over half-hour! Recipe features a how-to video!

The Finest Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Right now’s buffalo hen mac and cheese recipe began out as a just-for-fun experiment (so lots of my recipes do!) however after style testing I didn’t have a selection — I needed to share it with you! With its irresistibly creamy texture and buffalo hen dip-esque taste, this one was simply too good to maintain to myself.
This recipe has the whole lot you’re keen on about baked mac & cheese, plus an additional kick of taste from the buffalo sauce. It’s tacky, creamy, a little bit spicy, and so hearty with loads of shredded hen.
I high mine off with a buttery, crispy crown of toasted panko for some additional texture and taste, and it’s really the very best mac and cheese I’ve had (my bacon mac and cheese is an in depth second although!). I simply know you’re going to find it irresistible too!
What You Want

There are various substances up there, so let’s go over among the most essential ones:
- Buffalo sauce. Ensure you’re utilizing ready buffalo sauce and never straight scorching sauce (which might add extra warmth than meant).
- Pasta. You should use macaroni (a traditional selection! I take advantage of this in my simple mac and cheese), however cavatappi/cellentani is a little more enjoyable.
- Cheese. Seize some mozzarella and cheddar blocks and shred them your self–that is essential for the smoothest sauce and finest melting. Pre-shredded cheeses could also be extra handy, however they include anti-caking brokers that forestall them from melting easily.
- Bitter cream + cream cheese. To make this buffalo mac and cheese additional creamy, we’ll transcend your normal shredded cheeses and use cream cheese and bitter cream too. These two substances are presumably essentially the most essential in growing such a creamy and richly flavored dish!
- Rooster. Any cooked, shredded hen will work. I like to make use of a rotisserie hen or my gradual cooker shredded hen.
- Panko. We toast this panko in butter on the stovetop for great, buttery taste. Typically, as a substitute of utilizing panko I make breadcrumbs out of my sourdough bread and use these, as a substitute!
SAM’S TIP: Since this dish is so creamy and wealthy, it makes a terrific get together/potluck dish. It’s the form of consolation meals that you just pile in your plate at a celebration, then end up going again for seconds…and thirds!
Bear in mind, that is simply an outline of the substances I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the put up!
Make Buffalo Rooster Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese

- Cook dinner your pasta to al dente in response to bundle instructions, then drain and maintain heat.
- Soften the butter and stir within the flour till easy.
- Stir within the spices and milk, then carry the combination to a boil.
- Cut back the warmth to a simmer and stir regularly till thickened. As soon as thickened, stir within the cheeses and bitter cream till easy.
- Stir within the scorching sauce, then add the hen and pasta.
- Pour right into a buttered baking dish and put together the panko topping.
Panko Topping

- Soften the butter and olive oil collectively over medium warmth, then add the panko.
- Stir and toast the panko till it absorbs the butter and oil and begins to show a light-weight golden brown.
- Sprinkle the panko over your ready mac and cheese.
- Bake at 350F for quarter-hour, then take pleasure in!
SAM’S TIP: Contemporary chopped parsley makes a fairly, recent garnish on this mac and cheese. That is non-obligatory, however I do like so as to add it if I’ve some available.

Regularly Requested Questions
Sure! If you happen to’d prefer to make the recipe up till the baking step, you possibly can cowl it and refrigerate till able to bake. If you’re prepared, merely take away your overlaying and bake till warmed via.
My buffalo mac and cheese carries some warmth, nevertheless it’s not overwhelmingly scorching (although you heat-seekers on the market can be at liberty to up the ante with just a few additional tablespoons of buffalo sauce). The warmth is properly tempered by the cheeses, so I discover the spice degree to be delicate or about as scorching as a buffalo hen dip can be.
Sure! This buffalo mac and cheese doubles properly, particularly for events. You’ll need to bake it in a 9×13 for those who do. Bear in mind the bake time is likely to be a bit longer in a much bigger pan.

Let me know within the feedback for those who’d prefer to see extra spruced up mac and cheese recipes!
Get pleasure from!
Let’s bake collectively! I’ll be strolling you thru all of the steps in my written recipe and video beneath! If you happen to do that recipe, make sure you tag me on Instagram, and you may also discover me on YouTube and Facebook

Buffalo Rooster Mac and Cheese
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Servings: 8 servings
Energy: 458kcal
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Directions
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Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and evenly grease a 1.5qt spherical baking dish or 9×9 sq. baking dish with butter.
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Cook dinner pasta al dente in response to bundle directions.
8 oz dry macaroni noodles (I used Cellentani noodles)
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In the meantime, soften butter in a big pot over medium warmth. As soon as it has melted, add flour and stir till easy.
3 Tablespoons butter, 3 Tablespoons flour
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Add milk and spices, stir effectively and convey to a boil.
2 cups milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon floor mustard
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As soon as combination begins to boil, scale back warmth, carry to a simmer, and stir regularly till it’s barely thickened.
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Cut back warmth to low and add cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and bitter cream. Stir till cheeses are melted and combination is easy.
4 oz cream cheese, 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese, ⅓ cup bitter cream
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Add scorching sauce and stir.
½ cup buffalo scorching sauce
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Add shredded hen and cooked, drained pasta noodles and stir till effectively coated by the sauce.
1 ½ cups shredded hen
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Pour into ready baking dish and put together your Panko topping.
Panko Topping
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Mix butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium warmth. Warmth, stirring sometimes, till melted.
1 Tablespoon butter, ½ Tablespoon olive oil
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Add panko and stir effectively till the butter and oil has been largely absorbed. Proceed to stir till panko is evenly toasted and turns a light-medium brown colour
½ cup seasoned panko crumbs
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Use a spoon to sprinkle over ready buffalo hen mac and cheese
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Switch to oven and bake on 350F (175C) for quarter-hour.
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Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve.
Vitamin
Serving: 1serving | Energy: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 22g | Fats: 27g | Saturated Fats: 15g | Ldl cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1003mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 818IU | Calcium: 318mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary data relies on third-party calculations and must be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate primarily based upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
Recipe initially printed August 2017. Recipe stays the identical however textual content has been up to date to be extra useful.
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