Buffalo's 1964 bar-food accident meets cottage cheese science—blending curds smooth creates protein-packed sauce without a roux.
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Dive into a flavor-packed adventure with our Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese! This hearty dish marries tender, spicy buffalo chicken with rich, creamy pasta, creating a comfort food experience like no other. Toss in a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and a drizzle of tangy hot sauce for that extra kick—perfect for meal prepping or a cozy night in!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This is Buffalo, New York's 1964 bar snack crashing headlong into Kraft's 1937 Depression-era pasta invention, with a sneaky detour through modern gym culture's obsession with cottage cheese as a protein hack—Teressa Bellissimo never imagined her chicken wing sauce would end up blended into a cheese sauce, but here we are, and frankly it works better than it has any right to.
Regional Twist
In Buffalo's own Elmwood Village, cooks ditch the ranch entirely and stir blue cheese crumbles straight into the cottage cheese base, doubling down on the tang while the pasta soaks up extra buffalo sauce for a properly punishing regional authenticity.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika, Salt & Pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 400g Diced Chicken Breast (360g cooked) (0.88 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 25g Cheese Seasoning (Brand: Deliciou - or substitute for the cheese powder from mac & cheese packets) (0.88 oz)cheese powder from mac & cheese packets
- 300g Low Fat Cottage Cheese (10.6 oz)
- 5 Servings Light Laughing Cow Cheese (substitute: light cream cheese)light cream cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 280g Pasta (Brand: Zafarelli Liscio Piccolo - or pasta of choice) (9.88 oz)pasta of choice
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- 10g Ground Mustard/Mustard Powder (Brand: Keens Mustard - or substitute for regular mustard sauce) (0.35 oz)regular mustard sauce
- 25g Low Calorie Ranch (0.88 oz)optional
📦Other(4)
- 2 Tbsp Buffalo Sauce (Brand: Franks Redhot Wings Buffalo Sauce - add to chicken) (30 ml)
- 50g Buffalo Sauce (added in the blender cup) (1.76 oz)
- 20g Buffalo Sauce (0.71 oz)optional
- Spring Onionsoptional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
546
Protein
47g
Carbs
61g
Fat
12g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start by grabbing your diced chicken breast, add a bit of buffalo sauce, then add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- 2
In a blender cup, add low-fat cottage cheese, light laughing cow cheese or light cream cheese, add some mustard powder and cheese seasoning or the cheese powder from mac and cheese packets.
- 3
Add a little bit more garlic powder, onion powder and some more buffalo hot sauce. Blend it together until it's smooth and creamy.
- 4
Cook your chicken on high heat for about 8 minutes and while that's cooking, start cooking up your pasta as well.
- 5
Once they're both cooked, drain the pasta, add it to a bowl with the chicken and the sauce, then mix it together.
- 6
Top it off with some low-calorie ranch, buffalo sauce, spring onions and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook chicken at high heat for exactly 8 minutes to reach 165°F internal temperature (safe for poultry), which takes ~1.5 minutes per 100g for diced 25mm cubes; longer cooking dries out the meat as proteins denature and moisture evaporates above 160°F.timing8 minutes | 165°F internal | 1.5 min/100g
- ✓Blend cottage cheese (300g) with Laughing Cow cheese (125g total from 5 servings) at a 2.4:1 ratio to achieve creamy sauce; cottage cheese's large casein curds need the Laughing Cow's emulsifiers to break down into smooth texture, preventing grainy results.ingredient2.4:1 ratio | emulsifiers required
- ✓Add 50g buffalo sauce to the blender (not just 2 Tbsp to chicken) because the acidity (pH ~3.2 from vinegar) helps denature cottage cheese proteins and improves emulsification, while the fat content prevents separation during reheating.technique50g total | pH 3.2
- ✓Reserve 100-150ml of starchy pasta water before draining and add 2-3 Tbsp to the final mixture; starch granules act as thickener and emulsion stabilizer, preventing the sauce from breaking or becoming watery as it cools.technique100-150ml reserved | 2-3 Tbsp added
- ✓Toast garlic powder and onion powder in the hot pan with chicken for 30-45 seconds before adding liquid; dry heat activates volatile sulfur compounds that create deeper flavor (vs. adding to blender raw, where they remain muted).timing30-45 seconds | dry heat activation
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Buffalo's 1964 bar-food accident meets cottage cheese science—blending curds smooth creates protein-packed sauce without a roux.
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Dive into a flavor-packed adventure with our Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese! This hearty dish marries tender, spicy buffalo chicken with rich, creamy pasta, creating a comfort food experience like no other. Toss in a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and a drizzle of tangy hot sauce for that extra kick—perfect for meal prepping or a cozy night in!
The Story
This is Buffalo, New York's 1964 bar snack crashing headlong into Kraft's 1937 Depression-era pasta invention, with a sneaky detour through modern gym culture's obsession with cottage cheese as a protein hack—Teressa Bellissimo never imagined her chicken wing sauce would end up blended into a cheese sauce, but here we are, and frankly it works better than it has any right to.
Regional Twist
In Buffalo's own Elmwood Village, cooks ditch the ranch entirely and stir blue cheese crumbles straight into the cottage cheese base, doubling down on the tang while the pasta soaks up extra buffalo sauce for a properly punishing regional authenticity.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika, Salt & Pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 400g Diced Chicken Breast (360g cooked) (0.88 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 25g Cheese Seasoning (Brand: Deliciou - or substitute for the cheese powder from mac & cheese packets) (0.88 oz)cheese powder from mac & cheese packets
- 300g Low Fat Cottage Cheese (10.6 oz)
- 5 Servings Light Laughing Cow Cheese (substitute: light cream cheese)light cream cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 280g Pasta (Brand: Zafarelli Liscio Piccolo - or pasta of choice) (9.88 oz)pasta of choice
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- 10g Ground Mustard/Mustard Powder (Brand: Keens Mustard - or substitute for regular mustard sauce) (0.35 oz)regular mustard sauce
- 25g Low Calorie Ranch (0.88 oz)optional
📦Other(4)
- 2 Tbsp Buffalo Sauce (Brand: Franks Redhot Wings Buffalo Sauce - add to chicken) (30 ml)
- 50g Buffalo Sauce (added in the blender cup) (1.76 oz)
- 20g Buffalo Sauce (0.71 oz)optional
- Spring Onionsoptional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
546
Protein
47g
Carbs
61g
Fat
12g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start by grabbing your diced chicken breast, add a bit of buffalo sauce, then add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- 2
In a blender cup, add low-fat cottage cheese, light laughing cow cheese or light cream cheese, add some mustard powder and cheese seasoning or the cheese powder from mac and cheese packets.
- 3
Add a little bit more garlic powder, onion powder and some more buffalo hot sauce. Blend it together until it's smooth and creamy.
- 4
Cook your chicken on high heat for about 8 minutes and while that's cooking, start cooking up your pasta as well.
- 5
Once they're both cooked, drain the pasta, add it to a bowl with the chicken and the sauce, then mix it together.
- 6
Top it off with some low-calorie ranch, buffalo sauce, spring onions and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook chicken at high heat for exactly 8 minutes to reach 165°F internal temperature (safe for poultry), which takes ~1.5 minutes per 100g for diced 25mm cubes; longer cooking dries out the meat as proteins denature and moisture evaporates above 160°F.timing8 minutes | 165°F internal | 1.5 min/100g
- ✓Blend cottage cheese (300g) with Laughing Cow cheese (125g total from 5 servings) at a 2.4:1 ratio to achieve creamy sauce; cottage cheese's large casein curds need the Laughing Cow's emulsifiers to break down into smooth texture, preventing grainy results.ingredient2.4:1 ratio | emulsifiers required
- ✓Add 50g buffalo sauce to the blender (not just 2 Tbsp to chicken) because the acidity (pH ~3.2 from vinegar) helps denature cottage cheese proteins and improves emulsification, while the fat content prevents separation during reheating.technique50g total | pH 3.2
- ✓Reserve 100-150ml of starchy pasta water before draining and add 2-3 Tbsp to the final mixture; starch granules act as thickener and emulsion stabilizer, preventing the sauce from breaking or becoming watery as it cools.technique100-150ml reserved | 2-3 Tbsp added
- ✓Toast garlic powder and onion powder in the hot pan with chicken for 30-45 seconds before adding liquid; dry heat activates volatile sulfur compounds that create deeper flavor (vs. adding to blender raw, where they remain muted).timing30-45 seconds | dry heat activation