baked buffalo cheddar mac and cheese
The easiest Baked Buffalo Cheddar Mac and Cheese for your Tuesday. Boil it, but don’t mash it, don’t stick it in a stew. Instead: boil it, stir it, stick it in the ove’.
This week, pre-travel, I’m stripping the fridge as bare as possible so to not have random vegetables rotting in the drawers. I already planned a couple meals from my previous grocery shop so leastwise I’m not stuck in a carousel of boring, but one day at least I’ll need to be thrifty.
Since I swerved into the food blogging lane and started speeding down the Internet-state far above the posted limit, I’ve been pickier about recipe development. As I should be, if I want this to appeal to anyone. But when leaving for a trip, it makes little sense of form a whole menu of shit that will likely mold by the time next week comes around.
This pasta is perfect if you’ve random cheddar and an open bottle of buffalo sauce – or ingredients to make a homemade version! – you want to use before a hiatus of any kind. Baked buffalo mac is all kinds of cheesy, creamy, and down-home comforting. The night before a trip, I always treat myself to a relaxation session, and why not have dinner highlight such?
Baked pastas are the best, like my One Pan Cheesy Broccoli Pesto Pasta Bake and Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Stuffed Shells. The amount of cheese required is otherworldly, and I do like me some cheese.
Even better? This pasta requires nine ingredients, and *technically* five are optional. I really think this pasta gets its uniqueness from the homemade spice blend atop. For those like me who aren’t always keen on tossing breadcrumbs over an already-decadent carbohydrate bomb, the Italian-style spices lend an extra layer of flavor without piling on more calories than you might perhaps need.
Not that I’m judging. If you want breadcrumbs, dude, have your breadcrumbs.
To begin, boil some pasta. A big ole bag of macaroni. Drain it but don’t rinse – you need its warmth. Toss in the buffalo sauce, butter, and 2 cups of the cheese until smooth and well-combined. Needn’t be perfect, just be sure everything is distributed nicely.
In a small bowl, whisk together your herbs: fresh basil and oregano, everything seasoning, dried parsley, dried dill, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining cheese overtop, then the herb blend.
To finish, pop the mac and cheese in the oven. Serve it hot, preferably with a beer and lots of good laughs.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 cups cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano
- 1 tbsp everything seasoning
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease an oven-safe baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together basil, oregano, everything seasoning, parsley, dill, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and add back to the pot.
- To the pasta, add buffalo sauce, butter, and 2 cups of cheese. Stir until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a 9 x 13 in. oven safe baking dish or skillet, spreading evenly. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese and the seasoning mix.
- Place dish in the oven and bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Spoon portions onto plates and top with fresh basil.
