Sorry, I Don't Eat Buffalo

Do y'all remember that episode of The Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson??  The one where she was all, "Sorry, I don't eat buffalo" in response to Nick asking if she wanted some buffalo wings.  Pretty sure I loved that show back in the day and that comment made me laugh something fierce.  Only because I'm certain I made the same comment at some point before I really knew what the heck buffalo wings were really about.  Dang.  I went through a period of time where I wouldn't touch ANYTHING related to buffalo wings. And then I got married and that's all Mr. Spouse wanted to eat.  I learned to love them and now I'm pretty much obsessed with any and everything that has the word "buffalo" in it.  I could eat Buffalo Chicken Dip for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I'm pretty sure it would suffice for dessert, too.  When I found this recipe for Buffalo Mac & Cheese, it was a no brainer.  I knew it would be in my kitchen...and in my belly...almost immediately.  And it was.  And ohmiword...AMAZING.

BUFFALO CHICKEN MAC & CHEESE

1 lb. pasta { I used Piccolinni...the little shells}

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed

1 tbsp. flour

4-6 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups milk

4 oz. grated monterrey jack cheese {half a brick.  plus more for topping}

1/3 cup sharply shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce  {Frank's Red Hot is my favorite!!!}

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

Ranch dressing, to taste

Here's what you'll need to get started...

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and return to pot.  While the pasta is cooking, heat saucepan over medium heat and add the butter.  Add the flour once the butter is melted and bubbly.  Whisk together to create a little roux and then cook for about 1-2 minutes until it starts to get a little golden in color.  Feelin' all Top Chef now, aren't ya?!?!

Add in the milk and turn the heat down to low.  Stir until the milk thickens and add in the cheeses. 

Stir until the mixture is smooth.

Now add in the wing sauce...YUM...and mix well.  You can add some salt & pepper to taste if you want.

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and add the pasta & cubed chicken.  Mix well so that the chicken is evenly distributed throughout the pasta. 

Pour cheese sauce on top and make sure everything's evenly coated for maximum yumminess.

Now sprinkle with bread crumbs and extra cheese.  I think seasoned croutons or crushed Ritz crackers would be even better than the Panko.  Don't get me wrong, the Panko was really good, but I've got a longstanding affair with croutons & crackers, so that's what I'll use next time.

Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.  Remove from oven and drizzle with extra wing sauce.  OH.MY.YUM.

I went a step further and served mine up with homemade ranch dressing.  GET.OUT. The only thing that would've made it better would've been a shovel so I could've gotten more in my mouth with each bite.

I really hope Jessica has come to her senses and hopped on the buffalo bandwagon. This is just TOO dang good to pass up.  For real.  And with the Superbowl right around the corner, this is definitely a dish you want to have handy.  It'll be gone in no time.  The homemade ranch really made it, so make sure you have that handy!!!  I served this little dish with 7Up biscuits and I was in Mr. Spouse's good graces all week long :)  They weren't kidding when they said the way to a man's heart is through his tummy!!!