Because hot sauce and cheese should get married and have a baby.
I don't know much team, but I do know two things.
1. People love mac and cheese.
2. People love buffalo sauce.
So it only stands to reason that if you combined the two it would be amazing. That's just sound logic right there.
So here is what we do.
Ingredients:
1 one pound box of your favorite macaroni
1/2 cup Buffalo Sauce, plus more for the side (let’s not commit to an amount here, it’s really a matter of taste, we’ll just ½ cup as a jumping off point you can make your own or buy it already made. It’s getting mixed with so much cheese here, we don’t have to be super fancy, and I mean we can, we just don’t HAVE to).
(Incidentally if you need to know, it’s literally just hot sauce and butter, and maybe a little lemon juice or cayenne for a kick, but the bottled stuff is pretty easy, and just as delicious)
2 12 oz. cans of evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk, because that would come out gross… and I know you’re thinking “well obviously” but guys, they come in similar cans, and are always right near each other on the same bottom shelf of the baking aisle, and it happens OK)???
1 tbsp. Spicy brown mustard (Dijon works here too)
8 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese (Sharp like my Witt)
8 0z. Fontina Cheese
4-6 oz. Blue cheese crumbles
2 tbsp. Corn starch
Panko bread crumbs
Olive oil or olive oil spray
Salt
Pepper
Frozen popcorn chicken (yup, that’s right, frozen prepared popcorn chicken, because it’s easy, and we don’t ALWAYS have to be fancy, I swear… sometimes It’s OK to be lazy. You can also use shredded non breaded chicken depending on your mood, or health preference. Let’s face it here though, you’re making mac and cheese… Are we really trying to be healthy? Truth be told, you could even leave the chicken out altogether… it actually makes a great vegetarian dish… not vegan even a little, but meatless works here)
Step one:
-Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the 1 lb. box of your pasta selection (The cool kids use shells, just saying).
-Cook to just shy of done. Maybe 7-8 minutes or so. The pasta will continue cooking in the oven, and if you have mushy pasta, your guests are going to hate you. Do you want your guests to hate you?
-Drain the pasta (DO NOT RINSE!!! I know someone somewhere said, “oh you have to rinse your pasta to stop the cooking” but this person was stupid. This starch is how your cheese sauce sticks your pasta, you could have cheese-less pasta, but you could also stop breathing. Whatever works for you friend).
-Set aside.
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Step two: (Omit for the vegetarian version)
-While the pasta is boiling, cook your frozen chicken according to package directions.
-Once cooked cut the pieces of chicken in half, and toss in a bowl with a few heavy splashes of buffalo sauce, until all coated.
-Set aside.
Step three (the sauce):
-Combine 8 oz. shredded cheddar (guys, the sharper the better here. Unless you don’t like your cheese sauce to have flavor. If that is the case, "you do you." "Live your best life" as the kids say), with 8 oz. of fontina cheese (the best melting cheese in all the land, I’ll fight you about it), and the two tablespoons of cornstarch. Make sure all the shreds are well coated, and set aside. (We do a lot of setting things aside here. It’s OK. You’re in a safe space).
-In a medium sauce pan add the two 12 oz. cans of evaporated milk and bring to a simmer at medium heat (In case you don’t know, simmer is where the liquid gently bubbles… I take for granted that people know what that is, but maybe you have a life and spend way less time watching cooking shows than I do).
-Add 1 tbsp. of spicy brown mustard (Or you can not measure it because mustard is delicious, and we like delicious things. "Why the mustard?" You ask, causing me to gasp and clutch my pearls… well because it adds some brightness and depth of flavor here, you could leave it out, but I know you would regret it).
-Mix until the mustard and evaporated milk are combined (The control freak in me wants to tell you, a whisk is going to do you so much service here… but a fork will do…or spoon… or ya know… you could buy a whisk… you deserve the best).
-Add 1 tsp. of salt (you can always add more, but with all the cheese in all the land, you’re gonna want to be careful with this, just trust me on this one).
-Add ¼ tsp. pepper (To be honest, I don’t measure pepper. I love it so much, so this is really a suggestion… Just like all my spice measurements. I have a hard time committing).
-Once the mixture comes to a low simmer (there is that word again), add your cornstarch and cheese mixture.
-Stir until melted (be warned here, this is going to create a gorgeous cheese sauce, and you may want to pour it all over your body or like chips or whatever, but you’re probably should refrain, since there is pasta waiting for it).
-Add a half a cup of buffalo sauce and mix again (I feel like it’s super important to mention that I love the buffalo sauce. So I go with half cup here, sometimes even more. You are within your rights to add less or more, but I am really awesome at knowing how things taste, so maybe this is one of those times you want to trust me. I mean it is my recipe after all).
*you can also serve extra sauce on the side, no one will be mad at that. I for one encourage it*
-Once everything is incorporated and the sauce is sooth and sexy, mix with the pasta (and the optional chicken).
-Pour into a casserole dish, that has been sprayed with cooking spray, olive oil spray, or brushed lightly with olive oil (We’re not picky here, we just don’t want all the cheesy goodness to stick).
-Once the pasta/cheese mixture is spread evenly in the pan, top with about 4-6 oz. of crumbled blue cheese, and the ¼ cup panko break crumbs.
-Spray with a little more olive oil spray, or drizzle with a little olive oil (if you’re not super fancy like I am).
-Place in a preheated 350-degree oven, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
All I have to say here is you are welcome.
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