The Ultimate Blog Swap - Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Bake Break! about Blackberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake, and I’m excited to welcome Liz from The Fresh Plate to From the Mind of Laura:

Hello everyone! I am Liz, and I blog over at The Fresh Plate . I am so excited to be guest posting for you here today. Laura has a great blog, and I  am honored to be a part of it ion any little way I can. 

First off, I racked my brain trying to figure out what recipe I was going to make for Laura.  I wanted to make something that was budget - friendly, kid- friendly and easy to put together. I finally ended up choosing Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta. I have four sons, ranging in ages from 18 to 6, and they all love buffalo flavored dishes. And pasta. And cheese. You get the picture. This dish is chock full of buffalo flavor and easy enough to put together in the morning and pop in the oven at dinnertime.  You could even add shredded carrots or chopped celery to give it a nice crunch. I would add those if I made it for adults, my my texture-phobic kids would pick them out and set them to the side, so I wouldn't waste my time or energy if I was making it just for us. And as you can see in the recipe, it calls for scallions and cilantro, which I did add to mine and two of the four kids. Two picky eaters and the hubs do not care for either, so I added hem when I plated them. Serve with a side salad and slices of garlic bread and you have a great meal. 

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

1 box pasta of your choice

1 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins, cooked and cut into cubes

1 T butter

1 T all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1/3 cup grated monterey jack cheese , plus more for sprinkling on top

1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top

1/3 cup buffalo sauce ( I use Frank's Red Hot)

1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs 

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2.Cook pasta according to  directions and set aside.

3.While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.Add the butter.

4.When the butter is melted and beginning to bubble slightly, add the flour. Whisk the butter and the flour constantly to create a thick sauce  for about a minute, until the sauce becomes  golden in color.

5.Add the milk to the sauce, turn down the heat to low and whisk until the milk thickens into a creamy sauce.

6.Add in the monterey jack and the cheddar cheeses and stir until the cheese melts into the sauce.Add the buffalo sauce. Taste to see if you need to add more sauce to your liking. I tend to stay at 1/3 cup.

7.Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Mix the pasta and the cubed chicken together in the baking dish and pour the sauce over it.

Stir and combine the ingredients well. (you can add more cheese at this point if you are a cheese lover) 

8.Sprinkle the casserole with cracker crumb and a bit of salt and pepper. 

9.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

10.Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

* Add scallions and cilantro if desired.

So there you have it! Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta. Thank you again, wonderful readers, for allowing me to share a recipe with you. And thank you again to Laura, who was so gracious and accommodating throughout this whole process . I hope to see you guys over at Fresh Plate in the very near future. Leave a comment and let me know you saw me here! 

Liz

Visit Life Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!