Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe

By Gina Greco, Senior Brand Marketing Specialist, SEMCA

**NOTE:   The Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven (SSC0586DS) is not sold in Canada, however this recipe will work in the SuperSteam+ Superheated Steam Built-In Wall Oven (SSC2489DS) on the Convection Bake function, or a conventional oven. Temperatures and baking times are stated in the baking instructions as an option.

Sunkissed Kitchen thought it was time to bring you some real comfort food this winter in a sea of salads! Baked mac and cheese with a surprise layer of buffalo chicken — now that is a meal that we can totally get behind any day of the week. The combo of spicy and creamy is truly out of this world! This recipe is kept gluten-free using gluten-free pasta and then blended brown rice crackers for a crunchy, golden brown topping.

However, if you do not wish to have the gluten-free element in the recipe, feel free to use traditional pasta and flower instead of arrowroot. Our Sharp Chef Michelle used a combination of Sharp appliances to create this tasty dish.  The Sharp Induction Cooktop (sorry, this cooktop is not available in Canada) was a great tool when making the delicate cheese sauces, and the Superheated Steam Countertop Oven was an excellent tool to bake the casserole in only 12 minutes! This recipe is a creamy comfort food classic elevated with a spicy buffalo chicken base! If you’re a mac and cheese lover like we are,  this is not to be missed!

Ingredients

Baked Whole Chicken

  • 4-pound chicken* whole
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • black pepper to taste

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

  • 1 pound macaroni noodles gluten-free, if necessary
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup buffalo wing hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs gluten-free (brown rice crackers, blended into a flour)

White Cheddar Cheese Sauce

  • 2/3 cup chicken broth
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 4 cups aged white cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot

Instructions

Baked Chicken

  1. Rub chicken with salt and spices, and place in a shallow baking dish.
  2. Bake in the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven on 425º F for  50 minutes on the BAKE/REHEAT setting.
  3. If using the Superheated Steam Oven, preheat oven to 425º F on SUPERSTEAM ROAST setting, and bake for 50-60 minutes.
  4. If baking in a conventional oven, preheat the oven to 425º F. Cover the chicken and baking dish with foil tightly and bake for 1 hour. Uncover, and bake for another 30 minutes to brown.
  5. Once the chicken has cooled some, remove the chicken from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

  1. Boil water and cook pasta per package instructions.
  2. Prepare the buffalo chicken by melting butter in a frying pan and then adding the hot sauce. Add the shredded chicken and mix to coat.
  3. Add the buffalo chicken to the base of a 9×9 baking dish.
  4. Prepare cheese sauce by adding the broth to a saucepan over low heat. Set the Sharp Induction Cooktop to level 1 for the simmer enhancer feature. If using a standard cooktop, turn on the lowest setting.
  5. Add mustard powder and garlic to the broth, and stir until the broth has warmed.
  6. Sprinkle the cheese with arrowroot, and stir to coat gently.
  7. Add the cheese to the broth, and use a fork to mix it well. “Whisk” the cheese until a very smooth and slightly thin cheese sauce is formed. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more broth to thin it out, so it easily coats the pasta.
  8. Pour the cheese sauce over the drained pasta, and mix to combine.
  9. Add the pasta to the baking dish in a layer over the buffalo chicken.
  10. Top the macaroni with a dusting of breadcrumbs.
  11. Bake in the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven for 15 minutes on the Broil/Grill function at 450º F until the breadcrumbs are toasted and the casserole is heated throughout.
  12. If using the Superheated Steam Oven, preheat oven to 450º F on CONVECTION BAKE setting, and bake for about 15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are toasted and the casserole is heated throughout.
  13. If baking in a conventional oven, preheat the oven to bake at 425º F, then bake for 20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
  14. Serve with carrots and celery, or sprinkle on blue cheese.

Recipe Notes

*Save time by using a precooked chicken.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 484kcal

Nutrition 

Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 12.2% | Vitamin C: 1.8% | Calcium: 43.2% | Iron: 8.3%

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