Fierce Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is AMAZING!!! A spicy twist on an American classic. If you are a kid at heart but want to spice it up a bit, this is the recipe for you.
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Healthy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese?
We all have that one dish from when you where young that has become your guilty pleasure, for me that was mac and cheese. But man! Mac and cheese killed my blood sugar. So when we discovered how to make low carb mac and cheese, I was obsessed!
Let’s be real, I have NEVER met someone who doesn’t like mac and cheese. From little kids to people in the 90’s, macaroni and cheese is a staple! When that was taken away I was extremely upset. So, my mom and I set to work. We tried hundreds of recipes to find one that would not make me feel like crap. The starch in the noodles combined with all the yummy cheese was a blood sugar disaster. We learned how to hack the noodles (or use these noodles), and once we rediscovered my great-grandmother’s recipe and hacked it, we found a game changer!
This meal has an origin story
We can thank my dad for the Buffalo chicken mac and cheese idea. I remember the first time he made it. It was so cold it was snowing, which is a very rare thing in the South. We had all come in from sledding [that my favorite thing to do when it snows :p], and we were all trying to warm up. My Dad offered to make lunch. He headed to the kitchen and started pulling random things from the fridge. I went in there confused about what the heck he was going to make from leftover macaroni and cheese, shredded chicken, hot sauce, and broccoli.
To my surprise, he had been wanting to try this combination. As I sat in the bay window shivering and watched, he began by microwaving the leftover mac and cheese. Once that was warm enough he added the chicken, broccoli, and a LOT of hot sauce. He continued by putting all of that in a pan and covered it in cheddar cheese to bake it in the oven. Needless to say I was enticed and a little confused wondering when he thought of this.
10 minutes later, he came back pulled it out of the oven to reveal a the golden brown buffalo chicken mac and cheese! I was skeptical at first. I mean he put one of the worst vegetables into one of the best foods out there! To our surprise and delight, it was absolutely AMAZING! From then on Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese has become a staple of the SweetT1D house hold. [But sometimes the broccoli is on the side.]
Do you like things spicy?
Buffalo chicken mac and cheese is a great last minute food for a potluck or gathering. We double the recipe on this site, High Protein Low Carb Mac and Cheese, and use half for one meal or side dish as it is. Then, we can change the second half into Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese for another day. With chicken or without, it freezes and warms up great for a meal another day! Anyway your family decides to serve it is amazing!
You can also change up the level of heat by using different types of hot sauce. Sriracha adds some heat in a different way than the usual hot sauce. Cayenne or extra black pepper kicks up the heat, but each person can change the level by adding what you like the best…or not adding things at all. Spice level is a personal preference!
Are you ready for flavor explosion!! Let us know what you think in the comment section, we love to have your feed back and thoughts.
Another day, another slay ~ Milly
Find the basic recipe here:
High Protein, Low Carb Macaroni and Cheese
Fierce Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 casserole dish
- 1 3 or 4 qt pot
- 1 measuring spoon set
- 1 measuring cup set
- 1 strainer to strain pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 10 oz easy melt cheese [processed cheese] approximately 1/3 of a block
- 1 cup shredded cheddar, divided 1/2 melted into sauce, 1/2 cup sprinkled on top
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt non-fat
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup hot sauce and an extra 1 tbsp for extra hot
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 16 oz cooked elbow pasta
- 2 cup shredded chicken
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
Pasta
- Cook pasta following directions on the box until it is al dente [softened but slightly firm instead of mushy]16 oz cooked elbow pasta
- Drain pasta in strainer and rinse pasta until it cools
- Refrigerate pasta overnight or until completely cooled
Fierce cheesy sauce
- Melt butter in pot used to cook the pasta2 tbsp butter
- Combine easy melt cheese, cheddar, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt. Stir until melted together.10 oz easy melt cheese [processed cheese], 1 cup shredded cheddar, divided, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt non-fat
- Add seasonings, mustard, and hot sauce to the melted cheese sauce1 tbsp yellow mustard, 1/4 cup hot sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- Mix cooled and drained pasta into cheese sauce and stir until fully combined
- Add chicken and mix2 cup shredded chicken
- Add remaining spices1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder
Options
- Option 1- Enjoy now!
- Option 2 – Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour mac and cheese into dish. Spread remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar over dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until it reaches desired level of browning1 cup shredded cheddar, divided
Nutrition
Then, add more fun stuff!
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese additions
Like sour cream, MORE CHEESE, broccoli, extra hot sauce, etc.
Later skaters ~ Milly
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