Warning: This might potentially give you a heart attack, but it would be well worth it...
I came across this recipe online on a site called the Noble Pig. The name alone is what drew me in. Mmmm...pig.... But the photos were what kept my eyes glued to the screen. In my opinion it's really hard to make a bad mac n' cheese. Much like it's difficult to make a bad mashed potato (which surprisingly I've had, and is not a pretty sight). But there are some mac n' cheese recipes that completely blow your mind that you just have to have it right then and there. This, ladies and gentlemen, is one of those recipes.
Here's what you'll need for your gluttonous fatty fat fest: (easily serves a family of 12-14, or 4 hungry fatties)
7 tbsp of unsalted butter (that's right, 7tbsp + extra for greasin')
1 lb of pasta (you could go traditional here and do elbow macaroni, but I chose pasta shells)
*1 large chicken breast, seasoned and cooked (10-12oz)
1 lb of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 lb of shredded pepperjack cheese
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup of buffalo wing sauce [or bbq sauce mixed with Tapatio, which is what I used]
2/3 cup of sour cream
2 tsp dry mustard
2 1/2 cups of half and half
2 tbsp of flour
1 cup of panko crumbs
2 tsp of parsley, diced
1/4-1/2 cup of blue cheese, parmesan (or whatever topping cheese you'd like)
*The original recipe called for 1 lb of rotisserie chicken but I wanted to season my own chicken and I actually thought 1 lb of chicken was a bit excessive for this recipe. So I bought a skinless boneless chicken breast and seasoned it with seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper and a dash of herbs de provence. Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes at 400F. When it's done, take a fork, shred the chicken and set aside.
When you're feeling ready to gorge yourself, grease a 9x13 baking dish with some butter and preheat the oven at 350F. Boil the pasta in a large pot until it's a nice al dente and then drain and set aside. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with 3 tbsp of butter. Throw in the garlic, celery and onion and cook until soft (don't completely overcook it though because you still want some crunch to the celery). After a few minutes, add in the shredded chicken and cook until the chicken heats up again. Next, throw in 1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce and stir until the chicken mixture thickens. Set aside when finished.
Here comes the cheesy deliciousness. Take a large saucepan and melt 2 tbsp of butter over low heat. Add in the flour to make the roux and stir until it creates a paste. Add in the dry mustard and mix til it's pastey yellow. Stir in the half and half with a whisk, and slowly add in the cheddar and pepperjack and heat on medium until all the cheese is melted down. When the shredded bits start to disappear add in the sour cream and stir until smooth. Finally, throw in the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce.
And now, it's bakin' time! Take half of the pasta and spread it across the baking dish. Top with the shredded chicken mixture and then the rest of the pasta. Now, take your saucepan and pour that hot cheese lava all over that bad boy. Bowchicka bow wow! For the topping (the best part), melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter in the microwave and toss with the panko crumbs, parsley and cheese topping and sprinkle that on top of the dish.
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| my heart hurts just looking at this, but it's oh so good... |
When you're finally done taking photos/drooling over/ogling the mac n cheese, place it in the oven on the center rack and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese starts a-bubblin'. If you take it out of the oven and the sheer sight of the slightly browned and deliciously melty cheese mixture makes you want to immediately face plant straight into the dish, then you know it's done. But please resist for 5-10 minutes before serving. A burned tongue (not to mention burned face) would ruin your entire evening, so proceed with caution. Once you assess that the cheese is no longer boiling lava hot, dig in and enjoy!
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