Buffalo Chicken Mac – N – Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Prepare shredded chicken: If using rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken, shred into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups). Pat dry any excess moisture.

Make buffalo sauce: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 1 cup hot sauce, 3 tbsp butter, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir until butter melts and sauce is smooth, about 2–3 minutes. Do not boil.

Toss chicken in sauce: Place shredded chicken in a bowl and pour 3/4 cup of the warm buffalo sauce over it. Toss until evenly coated. Reserve remaining sauce for brushing the sandwiches or serving.

Taste and adjust: Taste chicken and adjust seasoning if needed (add more hot sauce for heat or a touch more honey for balance). Keep warm.

Cook pasta: Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium pot with 1 tsp salt. Add 2 cups elbow macaroni and cook until just al dente (follow package directions, usually 7–9 minutes). Drain and set aside; reserve about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water.

Make roux: In the same pot over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute to cook the flour.

Add milk: Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, smoothing any lumps. Cook, whisking, until mixture thickens slightly, about 2–3 minutes.

Add cheeses: Lower heat to low. Stir in 2 tbsp softened cream cheese until melted, then add 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack. Stir until cheeses are melted and sauce is silky. If sauce is too thick, add up to 2 tbsp reserved pasta water or more milk to reach desired consistency.

Season mac and cheese: Stir in 1/4 tsp ground mustard (optional) and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Taste and add salt if needed.

Combine with pasta: Fold drained pasta into cheese sauce until evenly coated. Keep warm.

Mix buffalo mac & cheese: In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups prepared mac and cheese with 1 1/4 cups buffalo chicken (adjust ratio to preference) until evenly mixed. This will be the filling. Reserve remaining mac and chicken separately for other sandwiches or serving.

Prepare bread: Spread about 1/2 tbsp softened butter on one side of each bread slice (for 8 slices use remaining 4 tbsp). If desired, lightly sprinkle buttered sides with the 1/8 tsp salt.

Assemble sandwiches: Lay 4 bread slices buttered-side down. Divide the buffalo mac & cheese filling evenly onto these slices. Spoon 2 tbsp blue cheese crumbles or drizzle 2 tbsp ranch on top of the filling on each sandwich. Sprinkle chopped celery and sliced green onions evenly across the filling (optional). Top each with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

Grill sandwiches: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat. Place sandwiches in skillet. Press gently with a spatula or use a weight. Grill 3–4 minutes per side, flipping carefully, until bread is golden brown and filling is hot and cheese is melty. If bread browns before filling heats through, lower heat and cover skillet briefly (30–60 seconds) to help warm center.

Finish with sauce: Brush top of sandwiches with reserved buffalo sauce for extra heat and gloss, if desired.

Rest and slice: Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute. Slice each sandwich in half diagonally.

Serve: Serve hot with extra buffalo sauce, blue cheese or ranch for dipping, and celery sticks on the side.