布法罗鸡肉芝士通心粉
Tangy, butter-slicked buffalo chicken folded into an ultra-creamy cheddar and Monterey Jack sauce, then baked under a crunchy panko crust. The trick is adding cream cheese to the sauce, which buffers the vinegary hot sauce so the cheese stays silky instead of breaking, and undercooking the pasta so it finishes tender, not mushy, in the oven.
Boil 450 g (1 lb) elbow macaroni in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package says, then drain. Toss 400 g (3 cups) shredded cooked chicken with 120 ml (1/2 cup) cayenne hot sauce and 2 tbsp melted butter. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter, whisk in 1/4 cup flour for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in 720 ml (3 cups) whole milk and simmer until thickened. Off the heat, melt in 115 g (4 oz) cream cheese, then 225 g (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar and 170 g (6 oz) Monterey Jack, plus 2 tbsp more hot sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. Fold in the pasta and buffalo chicken, scrape into a buttered 23x33 cm (9x13-inch) dish, top with buttered panko and blue cheese crumbles, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15-18 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 5 minutes and shower with sliced scallions.
- Undercook the macaroni by 2 minutes — it drinks up sauce in the oven and lands perfectly tender instead of bloated.
- Shred cheese from blocks and melt it off the heat; pre-shredded cheese and a boiling sauce are the two fastest routes to a grainy, broken sauce.
- The cream cheese isn't optional: its fat and body stabilize the sauce against the vinegar in the hot sauce, keeping everything glossy.
Equipment
- Large pot for pasta
- Colander
- Large saucepan or Dutch oven
- Whisk
- Box grater
- 23x33 cm (9x13-inch) baking dish
- Large mixing bowl
食材
Buffalo chicken
- 400 g cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
- 120 ml cayenne-pepper hot sauce (buffalo-style), plus 2 tbsp for the cheese sauce
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted
Pasta and cheese sauce
- 450 g elbow macaroni
- 55 g unsalted butter
- 35 g all-purpose flour
- 720 ml whole milk, warm
- 115 g cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 225 g sharp cheddar, freshly shredded, shred from a block
- 170 g Monterey Jack, freshly shredded
- 3 g garlic powder
- 3 g onion powder
- 3 g fine salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1 g freshly ground black pepper
Topping and garnish
- 60 g panko breadcrumbs
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted
- 60 g blue cheese crumbles, optional; swap for ranch drizzle if you prefer
- scallions, thinly sliced
步骤
- 步骤01
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and butter a 23x33 cm (9x13-inch) baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than the package directs — it should still have a firm bite. Drain and rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking.
- 步骤02
In a large bowl, stir together 120 ml (1/2 cup) hot sauce and 2 tbsp melted butter, then toss in the shredded chicken until every strand is coated orange. Set aside so the chicken soaks up the sauce while you work.
- 步骤03
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until it smells lightly toasty. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, a splash at a time at first so no lumps form, then simmer, whisking often, for 3-4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- 步骤04
Pull the pan off the heat. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth, then add the cheddar and Monterey Jack a handful at a time, stirring each addition until fully melted before adding the next. Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Taste — it should be a touch salty and tangy, since the pasta will mellow it.
- 步骤05
Fold the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce, then gently fold in the buffalo chicken along with any sauce pooled in the bowl. Don't overmix — a few streaks of buffalo sauce look great. Scrape everything into the prepared baking dish and level the top.
- 步骤06
Toss the panko with 2 tbsp melted butter until evenly damp, then scatter it over the casserole along with the blue cheese crumbles, if using. Bake on the middle rack for 15-18 minutes, until the crumbs are deep golden and the sauce bubbles at the edges. Avoid baking longer or the sauce will tighten up.
- 步骤07
Let the dish rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles from molten to creamy-scoopable. Shower with sliced scallions and, if you like, an extra zigzag of hot sauce or ranch before serving.
Make ahead
Assemble the casserole (without the panko topping) up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, add the buttered panko and blue cheese just before baking, and add 10-12 extra minutes to the bake time, tenting with foil if the crumbs brown before the center bubbles. You can also parboil the pasta and shred the cheeses a day ahead to make assembly fast.
Storage
Cool leftovers within an hour, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat single portions in the microwave with a splash of milk stirred in, or cover a larger amount with foil and warm at 175°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes. Freezing works in a pinch (up to 2 months) but the sauce loses some silkiness; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Variations
Gluten-free
Use gluten-free elbow pasta (undercook it by 3 minutes, since GF pasta softens fast), swap the flour for an equal amount of gluten-free 1:1 baking blend or 2 tbsp cornstarch whisked into the cold milk, and use gluten-free panko or crushed GF crackers on top. Check your hot sauce label, though most cayenne sauces are naturally gluten-free.
Stovetop-only
Skip the oven entirely: cook the pasta fully al dente, fold everything together in the saucepan over low heat, and serve straight from the pot. Toast the panko separately in a dry skillet with butter for 3-4 minutes and sprinkle it over each bowl so you keep the crunch.
Ranch lover's mild version
Cut the hot sauce to 60 ml (1/4 cup) total, stir 3 tbsp ranch dressing into the cheese sauce, and trade the blue cheese for extra cheddar on top. You keep the buffalo-wing flavor profile with roughly half the heat — good for kids and spice-shy guests.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
常见问题
What kind of chicken works best in buffalo chicken mac and cheese?
Any cooked, shreddable chicken works — a rotisserie bird is the fastest route and its seasoning adds depth. You can also poach 2 large chicken breasts in barely simmering salted water for 12-15 minutes, or use leftover grilled or baked chicken. Shred rather than dice so the buffalo sauce clings to every strand and distributes through the casserole.
How spicy is this, and can I tone it down?
With a classic cayenne sauce like Frank's-style, it lands at a medium, wing-night heat — tangy and warming rather than punishing, because the dairy tempers it. To mellow it, drop to 60 ml (1/4 cup) hot sauce for the chicken and skip the 2 tbsp in the sauce, or stir in a couple of tablespoons of ranch dressing. To push it hotter, add a pinch of cayenne to the béchamel rather than more bottled sauce, which would thin the sauce and add too much vinegar.
Why did my cheese sauce turn grainy?
Two usual suspects: heat and pre-shredded cheese. If the sauce boils after the cheese goes in, the proteins seize and the fat separates, so always melt cheese off the heat. Bagged shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that melts poorly — shredding blocks yourself makes a noticeably smoother buffalo chicken mac and cheese. The cream cheese in this recipe is your insurance policy; don't skip it.
Can I make buffalo chicken mac and cheese ahead for game day?
Yes — assemble it up to a day ahead without the panko, refrigerate covered, then top and bake with 10-12 extra minutes. If you're serving a crowd over a few hours, bake it, then hold it loosely covered in a 90°C (200°F) oven for up to 45 minutes, stirring a splash of warm milk into the edges if it tightens.
Blue cheese or ranch — which belongs on top?
It's the great wing debate transplanted to a casserole, and both work. Blue cheese crumbles baked on top go savory and funky, sharpening the tangy sauce; a cold ranch drizzle after baking reads creamier and milder. Do what your table votes for, or serve ranch on the side and bake blue cheese on half the dish.
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