Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

I love anything and everything that's buffalo chicken. The spicier the better in my book. I also love mac & cheese and was excited when I saw a buffalo chicken version. I tweaked the recipe a little bit so that it would (a) suit our tastes better and (b) use up ingredients I had on hand. The resulting mac & cheese was incredible. It was really creamy and cheesy and let's not forget spicy. You can reduce the amount of hot sauce if you want something with a little less kick. The pasta was actually better the next day.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine

8 oz macaroni pasta

For the chicken
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1 large chicken breast
~1/2 cup hot sauce

For the sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream

For the topping
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

For the chicken
Meanwhile, cut chicken into chunks and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent. Stir in the chicken and cook 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

For the sauce
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard and mix together until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream. Once the cream comes to a boil whisk in the hot sauce, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. Whisk in the sour cream once all the cheeses are melted.

For the topping
Combine the bread crumbs and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated with butter.

Combine the pasta, chicken, and sauce. Pour into baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.