Spicy Chicken Macaroni & Cheese
55 minutes
Serves: 4
A creamy and spicy buffalo mac and cheese with Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Bites, Buffalo sauce, and bleu cheese. The panko breadcrumbs offer a crunchy texture which contrasts with the creamy aged cheddar cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 oz Just Bare Breaded Chicken Bites
- 8 oz dried pasta (shells, elbows, or cellentani)
- Salt
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 cups aged cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
- ½ cup buffalo hot sauce
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 oz bleu cheese crumbles
- ½ bunch scallions, whites removed and thinly sliced
- 1 oz fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In an even layer, place frozen chicken bites on a tray and cook for 23-25 minutes until crispy.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare a large pot of water and bring to a boil – season with 2 tbsp of salt. Cook pasta according to directions, about 8-10 minutes. Strain when cooked and reserve for later.
- Heat butter in a medium pot on medium heat, add minced garlic and shallot. Cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add flour and stir to combine – cook roux for 3-4 minutes until raw flour taste is cooked out.
- Add milk and stir until roux is dissolved, bring to a boil. The sauce will begin to thicken almost instantly – reduce heat to low and continue to stir.
- Add grated cheese, stir, and allow to melt. Add pasta and stir to combine.
- Chop up the cooked chicken bites into smaller pieces and toss with buffalo sauce in a bowl.
- Mix your buffalo chicken with the mac and cheese, and reserve some for your topping.
- Portion the mac and cheese into small oven-safe dishes, top with remaining buffalo chicken, bleu cheese crumbles, and panko breadcrumbs.
- Bake in the oven at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until browned and the internal temperature reads 165ºF. Garnish with sliced scallions and minced parsley.