Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta combines two amazingly delicious dishes: Buffalo Chicken + Macaroni and Cheese! Creamy, cheesy, comfort food heaven where two worlds collide. If you can make boxed mac n' cheese, you can make this super simple dish!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 648kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature, cubed
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce, such as RedHot
- 1 cup unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock, or broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt, more or less, to taste
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
- 1 1/4 cup half and half, or heavy cream/milk of choice
- 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, hand-shredded
- 2/3 cup yogurt ranch dressing, for a lighter option, or sub with regular ranch or blue cheese dressing
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta, or your favorite mac n' cheese pasta
Optional Garnishments:
- 1/2 cup regular panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tbsp lightly dried parsley
- chopped chives
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente or desired doneness. Drain and return to pot.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the cubed cream cheese, chicken stock, and buffalo sauce. Whisk until the cream cheese melts and the sauce reaches a creamy consistency.
- Add the seasonings: garlic powder, salt, and smoked paprika. Stir to throughly combine.
- Pour in the half and half, add the shredded cheddar cheese, and stir to throughly combine.
- Once the cheese has melted, add the ranch dressing and stir to combine. Add the cooked, shredded chicken breast.
- Fold to incorporate and simmer on low for 5-6 minutes to allow the flavors to cook into the chicken and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- While you're waiting, prepare the garnishment, if using. Place a medium pan over medium heat. Add the unsalted butter to melt.
- Once melted and bubbling, add the panko breadcrumbs and stir to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes, or until the panko has browned slightly and is crispy. Toss with lightly dried parsley.
- Add the buffalo chicken cheese sauce to the large pot of pasta, toss to combine.
- Serve garnished with panko breadcrumb mixture, chopped chives, and a drizzle of extra ranch and buffalo sauce.
Notes
STOCK/BROTH: Use what you have on hand. Stock will have more flavor than broth, but broth (whether chicken or vegetable) will work. I recommend using unsalted or low-sodium stock or broth so that you can control the amount of sodium that goes into a dish.
SALT: Season, to taste. Keep the sodium in mind if using regular stock or broth. If you're worried about sodium taste, taste test and season after all ingredients for the sauce have been added.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 1149mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1190IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 370mg | Iron: 1.9mg