Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese (Giveaway)

February 27, 2012

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese (Giveaway)

Quick and easy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, using Barilla Whole Grain Pasta, scores winning points on the home front.

On Super Bowl Sunday our house was filled with eager friends and enticing food. We had wings and sliders and a variety of finger foods and cakes, but the dish that seemed to get the most attention was a dip.

Ahem … a dip that I did not make.

That’s alright. I don’t mind being shown up. After tasting our friend Eric’s Buffalo Chicken Dip, my mind starting churning with inspiration. This dip would taste great with nearly anything, so why not use it as a springboard for other recipes?

When I received a package of Barilla’s Whole Grain Pasta in the mail, I knew this was the place to start. Think about it … creamy buffalo chicken dip and pasta. This was a no-brainer.

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This Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is incredible. INCREDIBLE. With tender chunks of chicken, bits of sweet bell pepper, fresh green onion and a rich zippy cheese sauce, it is a true crowd-pleaser.

It is so easy to prepare, you’ll be more than happy to whip it up when your family begs for it over and over! And trust me, they will.

With a brick of cream cheese, store-bought hot wing sauce and good-quality blue cheese dressing, you can make a truly amazing cheese sauce to pour over your pasta. You can also make a LIGHT version of Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese by adding low-fat cream cheese and reduced-calorie dressing. In addition, Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is a great way to use up leftover chicken.

COOK’S NOTES: If buying pre-shredded cheese, make sure to select one without fillers that melts well.

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Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

13.25 oz. box pasta (shells, penne or rotini)
1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small bell peppers, red and yellow, seeded and diced
1 bunch chopped green onions, divided
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup GOOD blue cheese dressing
1/2 - 3/4 cup Buffalo Hot Wing Sauce
3 cups shredded cheese, divided (cheddar, mozzarella or a blend)
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Add the cooked chicken, chopped bell peppers, 3/4 of the green onions, and 2 1/4 cups of shredded cheese to the baking dish. Mix well.

Place the garlic, cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and 1/2 cup hot wing sauce in a food processor. Puree until smooth, taste and add another 1/4 cup hot wing sauce if needed. Pour over the pasta and toss.

Mix the remaining 3/4 cup cheese and the Panko together. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle with the remaining green onions.

Bake until golden, approximately 30-40 minutes.

Barilla is offering a $100 Amazon Gift Card as a Giveaway Today!

SWEEPSTAKES Question: What do you love about Barilla Whole Grain?

Rules: ~CLOSED~

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.

b) Tweet about this promotion @BarillaUS with the following unique term in your message #BarillaWG and link to your tweet in a comment on this post.

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to your post in a comment on this post.

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12-3/31/12.