Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Who doesn’t like Mac ‘n’ Cheese?  Mac ‘n’ Cheese is the only reason we’re okay with the fact that we eat the high calorie and loaded fat (i.e. CHEESE) dish.  Duh, that’s what Mac ‘n’ Cheese is all about!  And we’re happy for an excuse to eat hot, creamy, and melted cheese.

Whether  Mac ‘n’ Cheese is plain, truffled, or  lobstered, it’s hard to get enough.  There are dozens of variations of  Mac ‘n’ Cheese combining people’s favorite flavors…. Crab Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Bacon and Pepper Jack Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Chorizo Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Broccoli Mac ‘n’ Cheese….and many more.  Of course, you need to know how to make it rich and creamy, but once you’ve mastered that, you can dig into dozens recipes without one moment’s hesitation.

I happen to love anything spicy, I like buffalo wings, and homebaked Mac ‘n’ Cheese is one of my favorite comfort food dishes.   This recipe I adapted from Food Network Kitchen combines delicious baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese with buffalo chicken for a creamy and flavorful dish. I have adjusted a few things to make it a little more figure friendly without sacrificing the original taste.  This recipe melted my face with awesome.  From the first bite, I was in orgasmic state that could only be achieved with this succulent blend of cheese, spices, and amazing taste.

If you love buffalo wings and Mac ‘n’ Cheese, it’s a must try.  It isn’t hard to make, just a lot of step, but it’s well worth the effort.  It’s smooth, tasty, and the panko crumbs add a great crunch to the dish.  This is my go-to Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe. The sauce is good and could easily be adapted if you like your Mac ‘n’ Cheese a little spicier.  About the hot sauce, it’s really is not hot, even though the amount of hot sauce seems like a lot.  This Mac ‘n’ Cheese is perfect for taking to school, a casual meal, or a time when you want to impress people with your vast knowledge of cheeses.  It travels well and is always one of the first dishes empty.  I wish I had leftovers, but it didn’t last that long, gone in 30 minutes L

Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n’ Cheese

For recipe in Indonesian click HERE

Ingredients:

·         3 cups of skinless boneless chicken breast, boiled and shredded

·         1 lb of elbow macaroni

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 onion, finely chopped

·         2 cloves of garlic, minced

·         2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

·         1 cup of Franks Hot Sauce (or any buffalo wing sauce)

·         ½ stick (4 tbsp) of butter

·         4 tbsp all-purpose flour

·         2 ½ cups of milk

·         1 cup half-and-half

·         2/3 cup sour cream

·         1 tsp mustard powder (optional)

·         2 cups of yellow sharp cheddar cheese, grated

·         1 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

·         Salt and pepper

·         1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Directions:

1.       Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.

2.       Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil.  Saute the finely chopped onion until it turns translucent.  Throw in the garlic and finely chopped celery and let the flavors infuse and the celery soften slightly, about 2 minutes.

3.       Add the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Pour in half a cup of the hot  sauce and stir well to coat all the ingredients.  Simmer until the sauce slightly thickens, about 1 more minute.  Take the chicken out into a dish and keep aside.

4.       For the cheese sauce: Melt 4 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Whisk in 2 ½ cups of milk, 1 cup half-and-half, then add ¼ cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes.  Season the white sauce with salt and pepper (I also added 2 tsp of sugar).  Throw in the grated cheddar and parmesan, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth. Turn off the stove.

5.       To assemble the dish: In a baking dish, start by layering half of the chicken, then half the macaroni.  Pour over half the cheesy sauce.  Then repeat the layers again with the rest.  Top with the bread crumbs, a sprinkling of parsley, and a drizzle the remaining of hot sauce over the top if you like.

6.       Bake in a pre-heated oven to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C) for around 20-30 minutes until bubbly and hot.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Resep Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan:

·         3 cups dada ayam tanpa tulang, rebus dan suwir-suwir

·         1 lb (450 g) makaroni elbow

·         2 sdm minyak zaitun

·         1 buah bawang bombay, cincang kasar

·         2 siung bawang putih, cincang halus

·         2 ikat daun seledri, iris halus

·         1 cup Franks Hot Sauce (atau saus buffalo wing apa saja)

·         ½ stick (4 sdm) mentega

·         4 sdm tepung terigu serbaguna

·         2 ½ cups susu cair

·         1 cup half-and-half

·         2/3 cup sour cream

·         1 sdt mustard bubuk (optional)

·         2 cups keju cheddar kuning, parut

·         1 cup keju parmesan, parut

·         Garam dan merica

·         Gula pasir (optional)

·         2 sdm daun parsley segar, iris halus

·         1 cup panko (tepung roti Jepang)

Cara:

1.       Didihkan air yang telah diberi garam dalam panci, rebus makaroni sampai al dente, sekitar 8 menit.  Tiriskan. 

2.       Dalam panci kecil atau wajan, panaskan minyak zaitun.  Tumis bawang bombay sampai berubah warna.  Masukkan bawang putih dan irisan daun seledri.  Aduk-aduk sampai wangi dan seledri sedikit lunak sekitar 2 menit.

3.       Masukkan ayam suwir.  Bumbui dengan garam dan merica.  Tuang ½ cup hot sauce, aduk rata sampai saus mengental sekitar 1 menit.  Sisihkan.

7.       Untuk saus keju:  Lelehkan mentega dengan api sedang.  Masukkan terigu dan bubuk mustard, aduk dengan spatula kayu sampai halus.   Tuang susu cair, half-and-half, dan ¼ hot sauce, lalu aduk sampai mengental, sekitar 2 menit.  Bumbui dengan garam dan merica (saya juga menambahkan 2 sdt gula pasir).  Masukkan keju cheddar dan parmesan, lalu masukkan sour cream dan aduk rata.  Matikan api.

8.       Untuk penysusunan: Dalam pinggan tahan panas, tuang setengah ayam suwir dan ratakan, lalu tutup dengan setengah macaroni.  Siram dengan setengah saus keju.  Ulangi pelapisan dengan setengah adaonan sisanya.  Taburi permukaannya dengan tepung roti kasar, irisan daun parsley, dan ¼ cup hot sauce sisanya jika suka.

4.       Panggang dalam oven yang telah dipanaskan sebelumnya dengan suhu 360 derajat F (180 derajat C) selama 20-30 menit sampai berbuih dan panas.  Biarkan 10 menit sebelum disajikan.