Mac and Cheese is awesome – there’s no arguing that. And a bit of Buffalo sauce adds a little kick to any dish. So why not put them together? Enjoy our Buffalo Mac and Cheese!
Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni*
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour*
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheese I use a Mac and Cheese mix of half cheddar half Swiss
- 1 – 2 slices American cheese
- 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs*
Instructions
- Preheat oven – 350. Prepare a baking dish.
- Boil water to cook your pasta. The pasta will cook more while baking, so cook for about half of the time the package directions indicate.
- Make a bechamel sauce. Scald the milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Keep it warm over very low heat. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over low heat. When it's bubbling, add the flour and whisk until it forms a golden paste, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Whisking constantly, add the hot milk in a steady stream. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Add American cheese and most of the shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Add buffalo sauce and stir to combine.
- Add pasta and stir until pasta is coated.
- Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan or extra shredded cheese
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes.
Notes
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Last fall we took a road trip to Niagara Falls. On the way we passed through Buffalo, New York, home of the Buffalo Wing. While I had been there before, my husband hadn’t, so we timed our trip so that we would be driving through Buffalo at dinner time. Of course, when in Buffalo, you have to do Buffalo wings, and where better to do Buffalo Wings than at the Anchor Bar, the creator of the dish. The restaurant, as you might have guessed, also has a small gift kiosk, and on the way out, I had to pick up a bottle of the Anchor Bar Buffalo sauce.
We don’t eat wings often at home, unless it’s Super Bowl Sunday, or some other big gathering. So the wing sauce sat for a while and I decided I had to use it. I though adding a little heat to a classic mac and cheese dish would be just the way to do it.
To get started, I’m going to cook my basic mac and cheese. Preheat the oven to 350, and boil some water to cook the pasta. Once the water is hot, add the pasta. The macaroni will absorb some of the moisture during the baking process, so I don’t want to fully cook the pasta. When boiling the pasta, only cook it for about half the time the instructions on the box indicate.
I have a secret – I am not good at boiling water. No seriously, it always boils over and makes a mess! Then I found this fantastic tool – a spill stopper! I had my doubts when I got it, but this is truly a fantastic addition to my kitchen. Just place it over your boiling water. Slots under the center of the flower design allows water to escape up the center instead of over the sides. Water gets trapped in the middle and sits there. When you remove the pan from the heat, the water cools and drops back into the pan! It’s available in the Hoppin Meal Plans store, and ships free!
Once the pasta is done, drain it and set aside. Return the empty pan to the stove and turn the burner down to low and we’ll use it to make the bechamel sauce.
I used to be intimidated by bechamel sauce. I think it was the fancy name – bechamel. Really, it’s just a cheese sauce, and while it needs to be watched while being made, it’s not that difficult to make. Start by heating the milk. You can scald the milk gently in another sauce pan, but to be honest, I will usually just warm it in the microwave. You want the milk warm, but not boiling.In the saucepan, add your butter to the sauce pan. Allow the butter to melt and begin to bubble. Once it’s gently bubbling, add the flour. Whisk until the flour and butter are well combined. It will become pasty and be golden in color. It will take about three or four minutes to reach this point. Now is the point you really need to watch the sauce. Slowly but steadily add the milk to the butter and flour. Whisk constantly, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens. This may take up to ten minutes, but it’s worth the time and work. Bechamel sauce is the difference between the gooey, cheesy mac and cheese, and pasta with just a bit of cheese mixed in.
Once the sauce is nice and thick, maybe even bubbling a bit, it’s time to add the cheese. I start with two cups of shredded cheese. The type of cheese and mix of cheese you use is up to you, and of course you can customize the recipe to suit your taste and the rest of your meal. Want a smoky mac and cheese, try some gouda or provolone. Need a Mexican side, try a Mexican blend. Since the buffalo sauce is the star of this dish, I am going to stick to the basics and go with a mix of mild cheddar and swiss. Add the cheese slowly and stir to combine. Once the shredded cheese is done, I added a few slices of American cheese.American cheese? You might be saying to yourself! Why American? Because it melts really well and adds to the gooey texture.
Once the cheese has melted, add in the buffalo sauce. Buffalo sauce is pretty potent, so you don’t really need a lot. I go with about a quarter cup. Of course, if your taste buds want more heat, you can up the amount. If you, or your fellow dinners, only want a little heat, go with less. Also, remember different brands will have different tastes, so this is definitely a “to taste” ingredient. Stir until the sauce is was combined.
Once everything is mixed together, pour the mix into your baking dish. Now top it. I go with a combination of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. If you want a browner, crispier type texture for the top, just go with breadcrumbs. If you want more cheese, save some of the shredded cheese to use as a topping instead. You can go a few different ways – the best part is, none of them are wrong. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot!
This makes a great comfort side dish, but if you want to make it a full meal, add some shredded chicken in before placing mix in baking dish.
Well, this is a splurge dish, so it won’t be appearing anytime soon on one of our meal plans, but every now and then we do indulge a little.
But after the indulgence, I like to get back on track, and my meal plan is a great way to do it. Have you tried one?
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The recipe was way too salty, and not very good, very basic…did you actually test the recipe and taste it? I’m not sure how so many people are giving 4-star reviews? You must be buying the comments or some other fake way of gathering false comments. I wish I loved the recipe but I just did not.
Hello Jenan, I am sorry you did not find this recipe to your liking. Normally if I find a recipe is too salty, I would just cut the salt next time I made it. However, that won’t work with this recipe since it does not call for the use of any salt. This leaves me wondering where, the salt taste might have come from. May I ask, do you use salted or unsalted butter? Also, where there any seasoning in the breadcrumbs that might have contributed to a salty flavor?
I love mac and cheese and my husband loves hot stuff, so this is perfect for us! Can’t wait to try it this weekend!
My son is going to go crazy over this mac and cheese! His staple food! Thanks for the inspiration!
Yum! This looks delicious! I bet that buffalo sauce adds such a fun flavor!
This looks so delicious and tasty! My daughter loves anything buffalo and she’ll be so excited to try this!
Such an easy and flavorful way to jazz up mac n cheese.