Hellobee Boards

I always start with a roux to make my sauce extra rich. Here's my very favorite mac and cheese recipe (I use this same basic cheese sauce all the time, with different cheeses and ingredients, depending on what I have in the fridge/cupboard):

•1 package small shells pasta (I think they hold the cheese better than macaroni)
•2 tbs butter (plus some extra for the pan)
•2-3 tbs flour
•2 cups milk
•5 (or more, if you like it real garlicky) cloves chopped garlic
•1 cup shredded smoked mozzerella
•1 cup shredded gruyere
•1/2 cup shredded provolone
•1/2 cup shredded parmesan
•4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
•salt and pepper to taste
•dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Start the pasta boiling.

2. Melt the butter over medium-low (like a 4) heat; put the chopped garlic in and let it cook for a few minutes. Add the flour one tbsp at a time to make a roux. Let the roux cook down until it is light brown/dark gold. Turn up the heat a little (like a 5 or 6). Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, making sure that the roux completely dissolves each time before adding more milk.

3. Add all of the cheese (except the parmesan) 1/2 cup at a time, making sure it completely melts down before adding more. This should make the sauce super thick and cheesy. Add the salt and pepper (you won't need much salt) and cayenne pepper, if desired.

4. Butter a ceramic dish. Drain the pasta, then put it into the dish. Pour the sauce over top, stirring to make sure all the pasta gets covered. Top the mac and cheese with the parmesan and the prosciutto, making sure to separate all of the pieces of proscuitto (otherwise, it will end up in one big clump).

5. Broil the mac and cheese at 550 for about 5 minutes; make sure to watch it so it doesn't burn. The parmesan and proscuitto should be a nice, crispy layer on top.

6. Enjoy!

@Foodnerd81: Ohhh, I've never tried a buffalo chicken mac and cheese before! How do you cook the chicken? Do you bread it first?

Like @Honeybee; I start with a butter/flour roux. Then just add milk and cheese until you’ve got the right amount and flavor. My only “secret” is to use extra sharp cheddar so you get a really good, cheesy flavor – and to use a good brand/quality of cheese.

@Honeybee: Here is what I wrote to my sister-- I'm not a recipe writer for sure but I think you'll get it:
Here is the base recipe I started with: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/05/lighter-baked-macaroni-and-cheese.html

To make it buffalo chicken, I omitted the spinach in it, and substituted about 1/4 of the shredded cheddar with blue cheese, then sprinkled blue cheese on the top with the bread crumbs instead of parmesan (or, possibly in addition to the parm, can't remember, but I know I wanted to add a little more blue cheese next time I make it).

For the chicken, I marinated/soaked chopped/diced chicken breasts (probably about 2 whole breasts?) in Frank's Red Hot sauce, enough to cover the meat-- put it all in a ziploc, seal it up, and mush it around with your hands to make sure all the chicken is being coated. I probably left it like that for maybe half an hour, but more would be better for really getting the buffalo flavor. After that had soaked up, I sauteed them in a little butter/Pam until just cooked through, then mixed the chicken into the mac before sprinkling with the blue cheese and bread crumbs.

So, obviously I shouldn't write recipes, but:
1) marinate chicken in Frank's Red Hot sauce, cook
2)make mac'n'cheese following the recipe but with the subs I mentioned, stopping before the topping with breadcrumbs.
3)mix in the spicy cooked chicken
4) top with blue cheese and breadcrumbs, bake as directed.