This recipe for Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Casserole uses my easy creamy mac and cheese recipe as a base and combines it with rotisserie chicken and your favorite buffalo wing sauce in one amazing dish and was sponsored by Llano Estacado.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Fall is one of my favorite times of year! The still warm, yet cooling weather. The transition to different clothes. The holidays. And maybe more exciting than all of those put together…
Football season!
Perfect Football Dinner Idea
We are not a family that watches sports year round. Football is our game and we wait not-so-patiently from the day after the Super Bowl airs until the preseason starts up again to get our fix.
And in the South, football isn’t just for Sunday. From the Friday night lights of high school football, to college teams playing on Saturday and the pros playing on Sunday, Monday, and some Thursdays – there’s always a game on all season long!
So even if you don’t actually watch the game or even like football, chances are you like the food and look forward to all of the game day recipes. Because, what’s not to love?!
This year I decided to take two of my football game day favorites and combine them into one and it was a success! I mixed my love of all things Buffalo chicken with my creamy mac & cheese and came up with this recipe for Buffalo chicken mac & cheese casserole!
Easy Dinner Shortcut – Use Rotisserie Chicken
I’m all about making life easier and instead of making two different dishes, this just simplifies things. Add to that using a store bought rotisserie chicken and it’s barely more work than making plain mac and cheese. Note: this recipe isn’t technically mac and cheese but shells in cheese as I prefer the added texture and size of medium shells over macaroni. Feel free to swap out for whatever bite-sized pasta you have on hand.
Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe
Here is a printable card with the entire recipe for my amazing buffalo chicken mac and cheese. Pin this for later, you are going to want to make it again!
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Casserole
This recipe for Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Casserole uses my easy creamy mac and cheese recipe as a base and combines it with rotisserie chicken and your favorite buffalo wing sauce in one amazing dish!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. medium shells or other bite-sized pasta
- 1 rotisserie chicken roasted store bought
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole or 2% milk
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- 2 tbsp Llano Estacado Chardonnay
- 3/4 cup hot sauce more to taste
- Garnish with blue cheese crumbles
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Bring a large stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
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Remove skin from chicken and then peel off small chunks. You don’t want to shred it too fine to maintain some meaty texture in your finished dish.
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In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a roux forms. Continue cooking for approximately 1 minute until golden color.
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Pour in milk, 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly until thickened and smooth, approximately 6 minutes.
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Stir Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses into the roux, 1 cup at a time until melted.
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Add wine, then hot sauce, to taste. I used 1.5 cups in my macaroni and cheese, but 3/4 cup will still give you a slight heat without being overpowering. Season as desired.
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Pour cheese sauce over pasta, then fold in chicken. Serve topped with blue cheese crumbles.
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
But what do you serve with Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Casserole? My vote is for the 2016 Llano Estacado Chardonnay which perfectly compliments the roasted chicken and creaminess of the cheese. This easy drinking wine from Lubbock is unoaked, dry, and one of the varietals offered by the largest, best-selling Premium Winery in Texas. Llano Estacado wines are available from their website, at Texas retailers statewide, and at select retailers nationwide.
Stay up to date on all of the latest from Llano Estacado by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
It’s never too early to start thinking about holiday gifting, make sure to check out the best gifts for wine lovers!
Make sure to pin this Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Casserole recipe for later!
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken is such a versatile meat and makes hearty family meals. If you enjoyed my Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, you will love these recipes too: