One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese in a dish

This One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is pure comfort food you’ll want to make again and again. With a rich, creamy cheese sauce and spicy Buffalo chicken mixed in, this recipe marries two of my favorite flavors into one perfect pasta dish. Better yet, it all cooks in one pot so clean up is a breeze. I love one-pot meals! Ever since I first posted my Barbecue Mac and Cheese recipe, I’ve been planning to post a Buffalo chicken version and I’m pumped to share this one today! I love to serve this with a side of veggies, but you could also mix the veggies right into the pasta for a complete meal if you prefer. This recipe is perfect when you’re craving cheese and pasta (so all the time?) and you’ll feel good indulging because a cup is only 334 calories or 7 WW Points! To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese overhead view

Looking for more lightened up pasta options? Check out the pasta section of my recipe index for favorites like Chicken Pot Pasta, One-Pot Barbecue Chicken Mac and Cheese, One-Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta, Bruschetta Chicken Pasta, Pasta with Chickpeas, Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon, Beef Enchilada Pasta Skillet, Turkey Sloppy Joe PastaItalian Wedding Pasta, Sausage Ricotta Pasta, Lemon Chicken Orzo, Chicken Pesto Parmesan Pasta Skillet, Beef Stroganoff, Beefy American GoulashSlow Cooker Kickin’ Chicken PastaBeef and Sausage ManicottiPumpkin Alfredo Tortellini SkilletSpinach and Artichoke Lasagna Roll UpsChicken Cordon Bleu Pasta BakeTomato Soup Mac & CheeseSpaghetti PieSausage Tortellini SkilletBuffalo Chicken Lasagna Roll UpsChicken Parmesan Stuffed ShellsSpicy Sausage Pasta and many more!

One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese overhead view

One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

This One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese is creamy, hearty, and a bit spicy - perfect comfort food!
5 from 9 reviews

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 6 tablespoons Buffalo wing sauce, I use Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings sauce
  • 4 tablespoons light butter, I use Land O’Lakes light butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups skim milk
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 10 oz uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
  • 6 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I use Cabot)

Instructions
 

  • *Place the chicken breasts in a Dutch oven or other large pot and cover with water to about 2 inches over the chicken. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts – mine are generally done at 15, so check one then) until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Discard the water from the pot and rinse and wipe out the pot to use again. Chop the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and move to a mixing bowl. Add the Buffalo wing sauce and stir to coat. Set aside.
  • Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt and black pepper until combined with the butter and continue to stir for a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time until combined and smooth. Add the water and whisk in to combine.
  • Increase the heat to med-high and stir occasionally until boiling. Reduce the heat to med-low and add the macaroni. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
  • Reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded cheese until well combined. Add the chopped chicken with Buffalo sauce and stir until thoroughly combined. Cook for another few minutes until all ingredients are heated through and serve.
  • *If you already have cooked chicken breasts on hand you can skip this step and use a pound of cooked, chopped chicken. Place it in a bowl and mix it with the Buffalo wing sauce.

Notes

To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
WW Points per (1 cup) serving: 7 (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per (1 cup) serving:
334 calories, 31 g carbs, 3 g sugars, 9 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 32 g protein, 2 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)
MyWW SmartPoints per (1 cup) serving:(SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Green: 9 SmartPoints/ Blue: 7 SmartPoints/ Purple: 4 SmartPoints (if using wheat pasta, if not, use the blue points)
Weight Watchers Points Plus:
8 per (1 cup) serving (PP calculated using a WW PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition info below)
Calories: 334kcal
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