Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

When we crave comfort food, noodles and cheese hit the spot every time. We took the original Buffalo Sauce recipe, revamped it a bit and made a nice creamy sauce that would go great with pasta and cheese. We are already thinking that next time, we add some Velveeta to it, as well. Just to be clear, this dish does not contain a spicy heat. My tummy does not allow me to eat spicy things anymore so we had to come up with our own version of what spicy means. And here spicy means flavor, without the heat. This is a great alternative for those of us who love the flavor of buffalo sauce but can't have the heat!!! It's frees us to still enjoy things that we did when we were younger but without the negative side effects, know what I mean ;)

My hubby took one bite of this and feel in love. He went back for seconds and he took it for lunch today, hehe. I LOVE it when he takes dinner from the night before, as his lunch the next day. It's his way of saying, great job honey!!! Not that he doesn't tell me exactly what he thinks but sometimes, actions speak louder than words. And that's what makes me sooo happy!!!!

Ingredients:
8 oz large elbow noodles, cooked according to package directly (2 tsp salt in water)
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 roasted chicken breasts, shredded

Sauce: (only need to use about half this sauce but I make up a big batch & save the rest for later)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 T sweet Hungarian paprika (use Cayenne for a spicier version)
1/4 cup flour + 2 T
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup milk (3/4 cup whole & 1/4 cup half & half)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Dijon
1 clove garlic, grated
salt & pepper to taste (1 tsp salt & 1 tsp white pepper)

In a sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add paprika and simmer in butter for about 1 minute. Then add all the flour, cook for an additional 1 minute, to remove that raw flour taste. Then add the sour cream, milk (slowly) til it begins to thicken. Then add your vinegar, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a stock pot, over med high heat cook noodles according to package directions and season water with 2 tsp salt. Cook & drain.

Add noodles back to pot, add half the sauce and the chicken, stir together til coated. Add in 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese and stir til melted. Add the green onions in and stir. Garnish with extra cheese, serve & enjoy!!

Makes 3-4 servings