Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Ready to level up on your mac and cheese game? Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is just the right amount of insanely easy to make, rich and spicy, and totally creamy with a homemade cheese sauce.
Is it possible to have too much cheese? The answer is, of course, no. This buffalo chicken mac and cheese has a super creamy cheese sauce with just the right amount of spice. While it’s a totally grown up version of your favorite kid comfort food, the whole family will love this. 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 will go crazy for.
Can you cook mac and cheese pasta in a slow cooker?
- The answer is… yes!
- It takes a little bit of a watchful eye after adding the pasta to make sure it cooks evenly.
- Cook the chicken in the broth/sauce base first.
- Add the pasta in the last 30-45 minutes and stir a few times to ensure it cooks just right.
- You don’t even need a fancy or special slow cooker to so this. I used my favorite basic 5 quart slow cooker!
Another important note regarding the pasta… be sure to use shell pasta. You need all the little pockets to be able to hold all of the cheese. Cheese to pasta ratio is an important consideration when it comes to good mac and cheese.
There’s 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 you’ll take a few minutes to make a from scratch cheese sauce because it’s worth it. Really. This will be the key that makes this the best buffalo chicken mac and cheese you’ve ever had.
How do you make cheese sauce for buffalo chicken mac and cheese?
The buffalo sauce part of this dish will go into the slow cooker with the chicken. I suggest starting with less and adding more once the dish is done if you are unsure how spicy you would like it.
While I often make cheese sauces right in the slow cooker (see my cheesy buffalo chicken pasta) this time I’m suggesting taking the few extra minutes to make it on the stove.
If you’ve never made cheese sauce before it’s really just melting butter and whisking in some flour to create a thickener/paste. Let the flour cook a few minutes. Then slowly add milk and let it thicken and simmer. Finally, stir in shredded cheese.
Be sure you use cheese you’ve shredded yourself from the block when making cheese sauces. Pre-grated cheese has an anti-caking agent that will leave you with a grainy sauce.
What sides go with buffalo chicken mac and cheese?
- tossed green salad
- crusty rolls
- buttered peas or any favorite steamed veggies
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
Could this be put in the oven instead?
Are you meaning not using a slow cooker at all? Yes, but the recipe would have to be adjusted significantly because it was developed specifically for the slow cooker. You’d want to cook the components and then assemble and would certainly need less liquid.
Hi! I’m thinking of stuffing this in a calzone, would the noodles be ok in the oven if I baked everything? Also, I saw your comment above about doubling the Ben recipe. If I wanted to double it, AND have a later crockpot, can I make it all in the same pot?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica! That’s a great question, but I’ve never tried anything like it so I have no idea how it would work. If you make it, be sure to let me know!
What would I need to do if i wanted to make this for about 2 1/2 pounds or 5 pounds of chicken?
I think you’d have to make it as two recipes, in two separate slow cooker just because of the volume of food it would make.
Delicious!!!! Made it today. Very flavraful, cheesy, just enough bite and very filling.
Thanks Sheila!
How well does this recipes reheat? I have a work potluck coming up, and would like to make it the night before. Any suggestions on how to reheat this in the crockpot?
Hi Meredith! I’d say it doesn’t reheat really well for something like this, maybe only in small individual portions. I’d suggest making it fresh.
Can this be converted to cook in acassrol fish in the oven. I would assume that you could do the chicken in the crock pot and then mix everything else and then bake. What do you think?
Hi there! I’m sure it could be changed to be an oven casserole recipe, however, the chicken in this was specifically developed with just the right amount of liquid in order to cook the pasta in the slow cooker. If you wanted to finish it off in the oven for a few minutes to get a nice topping, you could follow the recipe to the end, then transfer to a casserole dish and top with some cheese or breadcrumbs and bake for a few minutes. Hope that helps!
When do I add the cheese
Hi Michael! You add the cheese to the sauce in step 10 and then add all of the cheese sauce to the slow cooker in step 11
I’m looking to make this for about 8 people… and modifications i need to make to the ingredients to incorporate for that?
Hi Jeremy! Depending on the appetites of your guests, you could make this as is and serve with a large salad, or increase the recipe by 1.5x and use a 6-7 quart slow cooker.
Made this a month or so ago. It was amazing. I will say that agree with one of the other comments that it is way to much milk. I was reducing for ages. I’m making the again tonight and will def. be using less milk. Delicious!
Thanks Chris!
Does the consistency of the cheese sauce change if you leave it in the slow cooker for too long after you’ve mixed it all together? I noticed that the recipe says to serve immediately, but I was wanting to have it all together and ready for nights when we have an event in the evening and get home a little later. Several of my other homemade mac n cheese recipes require specific cook times or else the texture of the sauce changes, but I’m wondering if this will be okay left on the “warm” setting, or have you ever tried leaving it in the crockpot after combining?
Yes, it does get kind of gummy if you leave it too long. Taste will still be good but texture can get weird. Depends on how much this bothers you. You can fix it up a little by adding more liquid right before serving.