It’s the weekend after Memorial Day, and the weather is mostly summer-like here; the days are getting into the 90s, but we’re still getting some rain, which in most years stops around mid-May and doesn’t come back in force until around mid-September. This is the time when I flip all the ceiling fans from “winter” to “summer” mode (i.e. blowing air down instead of pulling it up), and I start to look for dishes that can be cooked without getting the kitchen overly heated. That usually means either using a slow cooker, an Instant Pot, or grilling (which unfortunately is rare for me these days).
When you see the title of this recipe, it sounds at first like someone smashed two different dishes together, doesn’t it? Usually people have buffalo chicken with mac and cheese as a side dish, but not this time. The result is an almost one-pot meal (you do have to cook the macaroni separately) that’s mostly hands-off and your kitchen doesn’t get too warm in the process. I did make one change in the type of cheese called for; somehow I just didn’t see Mozzarella and buffalo sauce getting along, and the switch I made gave the result an excellent flavor. Speaking of that, the buffalo flavor in this is mild enough for most folks, but I’ll leave a couple of suggestions in the notes if you want to amp up the heat a bit.
Adapted from Slow Cooker Meals
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Description
This is what happens when buffalo chicken and mac and cheese have a head-on collision. The taste is excellent, with just enough heat to give it good flavor for most palates. Except for cooking the macaroni, this is mostly a hands-off meal.
Adapted from Slow Cooker Meals
Ingredients
Instructions
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Place the chicken in the bottom of a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Top with buffalo sauce, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder.
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Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 5-6 hours.
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At the end of cooking, remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and add the blue cheese dressing, cream cheese, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, and Gouda cheese. Continue cooking on High for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the cheeses are melted and blended together.
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While the cheeses are melting, prepare the macaroni according to package directions, cooking until just al dente (about 5-7 minutes).
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Drain the macaroni and add to the slow cooker, stirring until everything is well combined. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 8
Serving Size approx 2 cups by volume
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 685kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 36g56%
- Saturated Fat 18.4g92%
- Cholesterol 143mg48%
- Sodium 1056mg44%
- Potassium 480mg14%
- Total Carbohydrate 51.6g18%
- Dietary Fiber 3.1g13%
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 39.4g79%
- Calcium 384 mg
- Iron 2 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Notes
- Ranch dressing can be substituted for the blue cheese dressing if desired
- Mild, medium, or hot buffalo sauce can be used
- For more heat, increase the buffalo sauce or serve with additional hot sauce on the side.
- Additional vegetables such as cooked broccoli, spinach, or roasted bell pepper were suggested as add-ins in the original recipe
- Other short pastas could be used such as shells or rotini
- The original recipe called for Mozzarella cheese instead of Gouda. I replaced it as I didn't think Mozzarella would work well.
- The original recipe states this makes 6 servings, but the final volume when finished was approximately 4 quarts in my slow cooker, which typically results in 8 servings. The nutritional information is based on 8 servings.
