This creamy buffalo chicken mac and cheese is made on the stovetop with cheddar, ranch, and blue cheese. A fast, spicy comfort food dinner in under 30 minutes.
This creamy stovetop buffalo chicken mac and cheese is a cozy, bold twist on a weeknight favorite. Penne pasta is coated in a smooth white sauce spiked with hot sauce, ranch, cheddar, and crumbled blue cheese. Add in cooked chicken, and it’s dinner in under 30 minutes.
The sharp cheddar and ranch blend with the tang of blue cheese for a buffalo-style sauce that’s full of flavor but simple to make. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, and the whole dish comes together in one pot while your pasta cooks. Serve it warm with a sprinkle of green onions or more blue cheese on top, if you like.
If you love this buffalo recipe, try my buffalo turkey meatballs or my buffalo chicken thighs. Or, if you're looking for a classic mac and cheese, try my white cheddar mac. Pair this with crusty garlic bread or carrot sticks and celery sticks.
Recipe Highlights
- 30-minute meal: Takes about 25 minutes from start to finish
- Simple ingredients: Pantry staples only
- Easy recipe: This family favorite is a simple stovetop recipe
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Ingredients
- Penne pasta: Tube-shaped pasta that is great for thick sauces
- Cooked chicken breast: Diced boneless skinless chicken breasts or breaded chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken
- Hot sauce: Frank's RedHot Original or Original Louisiana Hot Sauce (NOT buffalo wing sauce)
- Salted butter: Provides richness and enhances the overall taste and texture
- All-purpose flour: Used to create a roux that thickens the sauce
- Whole milk: To create the base of the cheesy sauce.
- Garlic powder: For flavor
- Salt: For flavor
- Black pepper: For flavor
- Cheddar cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar (skip pre-shredded cheese and try freshly shredded for an even creamier texture)
- Ranch dressing: Creamy, tangy, and zesty prepared ranch dressing
- Crumbled blue cheese: Adds tanginess, a perfect pairing for buffalo sauce
- Green onions: To garnish, optional
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Cook the penne pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a separate large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour to the butter and whisk to create a roux. Cook for a minute or two until the roux is golden and bubbling.
Slowly whisk the milk into the roux, ensuring there are no lumps.
Add the hot sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, stirring frequently.
Once simmering, remove from the heat and add the cheddar cheese, stirring until it is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Stir in the ranch dressing and crumbled blue cheese and mix well.
Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.
Add the cooked penne to the saucepan and stir to evenly coat the pasta with the sauce.
If desired, garnish with green onions and additional blue cheese (optional) and serve warm.
Top Tips
- Roux: Be patient when creating your roux (the mixture of butter and flour). It needs to cook for a minute or two to remove the raw flour taste. When you add the milk, be sure to stir frequently to prevent the milk from curdling.
- Pasta Cooking: Do not overcook your pasta. It will continue to cook a bit when mixed with the hot cheese sauce.
- Spice Level: Adjust the amount of hot sauce based on your preferred level of spiciness. You can start with less and add more to taste.
Substitutions
- Penne pasta: You can substitute it with any kind of pasta. Try other short pasta shape like rotini, shells, or macaroni or even pasta noodles.
- Chicken: While the recipe calls for chicken breast, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a richer flavor. You can also use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Using a rotisserie chicken can be a great time-saver. In a pinch, you can use frozen chicken nuggets or buffalo chicken tenders.
- Hot sauce: Frank's RedHot Original and Louisiana Hot Sauce have the same Scoville rating (450 SHUs) and are considered to be mild sauces. For a more mild cheese sauce, control the spice level and use less hot sauce (start with half and go from there). For more spicy flavor, use extra buffalo sauce or try Texas Pete's Original Hot Sauce (740 SHUs).
- Salted butter: Unsalted butter can be used if you prefer to better control the amount of salt in the dish.
- Whole milk: For low-fat, try reduced-fat milk. For higher fat content, evaporated milk and half-and-half are great for any bechamel sauce.
- Sharp cheddar: You can substitute with other types of shredded cheese like mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack cheese.
- Ranch dressing: If you don't have ranch dressing, you can substitute with blue cheese dressing.
- Blue cheese: If you're not a fan of blue cheese, you can use crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, or shredded Parmesan cheese as alternatives.
Equipment
- Large pot - For the cheese sauce
- Colander - To drain the cooked pasta
- Whisk - To mix the cheese sauce
- Wooden spoon - To stir and serve
Storage
Allow your pasta dinner to cool down to room temperature before storing. Transfer the leftovers into an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. Enjoy the leftovers within 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
In the Oven (recommended): Preheat your oven to 350°F. Transfer the pasta to an oven-safe dish if it's not already in one and cover it with aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. Heat the pasta in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until it's heated through.
Check it several places with a fork to make sure it's hot all the way through. Be careful when removing the dish from the oven, as it will be hot.
In the Microwave (faster): Transfer a serving of the pasta to a microwave-safe dish. Cover the dish with a paper towel. Heat the pasta on medium power for about 2-3 minutes or until it's heated through. Stir it halfway through to promote even heating.
Be careful when removing the dish from the microwave as it will be hot. Let it stand for a minute or two before eating.
FAQ
Pair buffalo chicken dishes with carrot sticks and celery sticks. Other side dishes include steamed broccoli, coleslaw, green salad, and green beans.
Buffalo chicken was created in Buffalo, New York.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these buffalo recipes:
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 2 cups chicken breast cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup hot sauce
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Cook the penne pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a separate large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour to the butter and whisk to create a roux. Cook for a minute or two until the roux is golden and bubbling.
- Slowly whisk the milk into the roux, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the hot sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, stirring frequently.
- Once simmering, remove from the heat and add the cheddar cheese, stirring until it is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Stir in the ranch dressing and crumbled blue cheese and mix well.
- Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.
- Add the cooked penne to the saucepan and stir to evenly coat the pasta with the sauce. If desired, garnish with green onions and additional blue cheese (optional) and serve warm.
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