Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
When you are ready for a seriously delicious and grown up version of a classic comfort food, then it’s time to give this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese a try! Simple, easy and indulgently delicious!
A chill in the air = time for some serious comfort food. Agreed? Good because I have a mac and cheese for you that is all about rich, delicious and comforting. And buffalo sauce. Because we wouldn’t want boring old mac and cheese, now would we?! Super simple to make and totally homemade with a from scratch cheese sauce… who could refuse a serving or three?! Use your slow cooker to make easy work of this wholesome Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese that everyone will love.
Can you cook Mac and cheese in a slow cooker?
- The answer is… oh yes!
- It takes a little bit of a watchful eye after adding the pasta to make sure it cooks evenly
Of course, I had to use shells pasta shapes because I wanted, no I needed, all the little pockets to be able to hold all of the cheese. Cheese to pasta ratio is an important consideration, I think, when it comes to good mac and cheese.
I’m gonna give you a little trade-off here in the time it takes to make this meal. You’re going to save some time by tossing the pasta right in the crock. But, I’m gonna tell you to take a few minutes to make a from scratch cheese sauce because it’s worth it. Really.
Perfect with a tossed green salad or quickly shoveled straight from the crock to your mouth. Time to put away the shorts and tanks and dig out the sweatpants. And eat the comfort food. All of it.
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (start with 1/4 and add more to taste when done)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 8 ounces shell pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 6 oz shredded colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Add chicken, broth, buffalo sauce and seasonings to slow cooker
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8
- Shred fully cooked chicken with forks and return to crock
- Add uncooked pasta and stir to combine
- Cover and cook pasta on high for 30-45 minutes until fully cooked (if needed you can add additional water 1/4 cup at a time for any uncooked noodles and stir)
- In saucepan over medium high heat melt butter
- Whisk in flour
- Slowly pour in milk while whisking until smooth
- Bring to simmer for 4-6 minutes until sauce thickens enough to stick to a spoon (it will be just a little thinner than most cheese sauces)
- Remove from heat and whisk in cheese until melted and smooth
- Add cheese sauce to slow cooker and stir to combine
- Serve immediately
Notes
Nutrition
