Buffalo Chicken Mac

Name: Buffalo Chicken Mac
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 28 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: water 2 1/4 cup; 1 cup evaporated milk (low-fat is just as good); 225g elbows or cavatappi; generous pinch of salt; 250g freshly grated cheese; 600g boneless skinless chicken thighs (1" cubed); 1/4 cup pickle juice; salt to taste; pepper to taste; 10g cornstarch; smoked paprika to taste; garlic powder to taste

7 steps

Prep:8minCook:20min

fast and easy. good for meal prep. usually make enough for a meal when I make it, and lunch for the next day. for the cheeses, put whatever you want. make sure at least one cheese can melt well like muenster, gruyere, or American. Classic American Mac: 125g sharp cheddar 150g yellow American 25g Parm fancy less American Mac (my go-to): 100g American 100g smoked Gouda 50g havarti basically Alfredo but not really: 100g smoked Gouda 50g white American 100g havarti 25g asiago

Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 21:07:17 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories742.3 kcal (37%)

Total Fat32.7 g (47%)

Carbs53.5 g (21%)

Sugars1.9 g (2%)

Protein55.6 g (111%)

Sodium989.5 mg (49%)

Fiber1.9 g (7%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

Mac and Cheese

2 ¼ cupwater

1 cupevaporated milk

low-fat is just as good

225gelbows

250gcheese

crispy air fryer chicken bites

600gboneless skinless chicken thighs

1" cubed

¼ cuppickle juice

10gcornstarch

Instructions

For the Mac:

Step 1

bring water, evaporated milk, pasta, and salt to a boil in a 4qt+ pot. I use a Dutch oven.

Step 2

reduce to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until ~70% of liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.

Step 3

turn off heat. add all freshly grated cheese and stir until fully melted. pregrated just doesn't work as well.

Step 4

optionally add butter and stir until melted. this makes it a little silkier, but only when serving immediately. I typically only do this when I have guests over.

For the chicken:

Step 5

Preheat air fryer to 400F. Add all ingredients to an airtight container. Shake vigorously until cubes are evenly coated. You may need to add pickle juice or cornstarch to get the desired coating.

Step 6

Spray air fryer lightly with oil, lay all cubes in a single layer in the air fryer, then spray over the chicken lightly with oil. Cook until crispy and golden-brown, about 12-15 minutes. Internal temperature must reach 165F.

Combining:

Step 7

Fill 4 bowls evenly with classic american mac, then top evenly with cooked chicken, then drizzle prepared buffalo sauce. Serve immediately or place in tupperware in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to reheat by venting my tupperware and microwaving for ~3 minutes.