Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

I refuse to eat any more fast food for the rest of my life. Well, kind of.

If it weren't so impossible to avoid (especially when driving 13.5 hours from KY to FL), I would totally stick to that declaration. At any rate, I did not eat much fast food before, but after working in fast food for a mere 3 months, just for the summer, I am definitely no more inclined to become one of the millions of Americans who regularly consume pounds of deep fried potatoes and gallons of soda pop.

Ok, sorry to rant. The reason I brought fast food up is because the above picture is of the leftovers of buffalo chicken mac n cheese that I ate for lunch at work instead of eating the $7 worth of free fast food that is made available to me.

Green beans are a great side for this, by the way =).

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

serves 4-6

1 pound pasta (I used shell pasta from a local pasta company)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

11/2 cups milk

1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese (half of an 8oz brick) + more for topping

1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (a third of an 8oz brick) + more for topping

2/3 cup buffalo wing sauce

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

for garnish: ¾ cup chopped green onions, ½ cup fresh cilantro, ½ cup gorgonzola cheese, additional buffalo wing sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in grated cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Grease a baking dish (9 x 13 is fine, ir even a 4-inch deep dish). Add pasta and chicken to the cheese sauce over and mix throughly until everything is coated. Spoon or pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately top with gorgonzola, green onions and/or cilantro. Drizzle with extra buffalo wing sauce, if desired.