In my ongoing obsession with all things buffalo, I saw this recipe on How Sweet It Is, and made it right away (well a couple of weeks ago, but I’m working through my backlog here). It’s seasonally inappropriate with its lack of vegetables and use of two spots on the stove, plus the oven (hot kitchen!), but it looked too good to pass up! It’s pasta tossed with chicken, coated in a cheesy, spicy, buffalo sauce.
Because I often don’t trust my cooking, I gave some to Kristine for a second opinion – she approved – and encouraged the use of more hot sauce next time. I would also recommend the original recipe’s use of little shell pasta, or maybe bowties or penne; the rigatoni I used was too big. Make this now, or save it for a rainy day 🙂 I think it would be great with a big green salad with homemade ranch dressing to balance out the spice.
 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta
 
 
Ingredients
 
1 lb pasta, cooked and drained
 
2 or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces
 
1 tbsp butter
 
1 tbsp flour
 
1 1/2 cups milk
 
4 oz monterey jack cheese, grated + a bit more for top
 
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated + a bit more for top
 
1/3 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s, and you can use more if you want)
 
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
 
2-3 green onions, chopped
 
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
 
Directions
  1. Get your pasta cooked and drained, and while that’s going, bake your chicken in the oven, then cut into pieces.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes. Add the milk,turn down the heat to low, and stir until the mixture thickens. Add in the grated cheese, and stir until smooth. Stir in hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Return the cooked pasta to its pot, add the chicken, and pour over the sauce. Stir until combined. Add this mixture to a 9×13 baking dish, or a 2 quart casserole dish. Add some more grated cheese to the top, sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
  4. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, when the whole thing will be hot and bubbly.
  5. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro, and drizzle with more hot sauce if you like!