Description
A creamy and spicy twist on a classic dish, this Slow Cooker Buffalo Mac Cheese combines the flavors of buffalo chicken with cheesy pasta for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1.1 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Chopped green onions (optional)
- Additional buffalo sauce (optional)
- Blue cheese crumbles (optional)
Instructions
- Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker.
- Pour in chicken broth and buffalo wing sauce. Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt over the chicken. Mix gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker. Shred with two forks until finely pulled, then return the meat to the cooker.
- Add cubed cream cheese, shredded cheddar, mozzarella, heavy cream, sour cream, and unsalted butter. Stir until the cheeses start to melt and the mixture becomes cohesive.
- Stir in uncooked elbow macaroni, ensuring all ingredients are well blended.
- Cover and continue cooking on high for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until pasta is al dente and sauce is thick and creamy.
- Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve hot, garnished with chopped green onions, extra buffalo sauce, and blue cheese crumbles as desired.
Notes
- For a spicier dish, adjust the amount of buffalo sauce used.
- This recipe can easily be halved or doubled.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 120mg