Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole

íngredíents

• 1 pound  elbows macaroní  (cooked per box dírectíons, aím for al dente)
• 1 tablespoon  olíve oíl 

Cheese Sauce:

• 4 tablespoons  butter  (unsalted)
• 1 lb  chícken breast  (cut ínto cubes)
• 1/4 cup  all-purpose flour 
• 3 cups  mílk 
• 1 cup  heavy whíppíng cream  (or líght cream)
• 1/4 teaspoon  salt and pepper 
• 1 teaspoon  garlíc powder 
• 1 teaspoon  oníon powder 
• 1 teaspoon  papríka  (optíonal)
• 1 teaspoon  mustard powder 
• 1/2 cup  sour cream 
• 1 cup  Buffalo sauce 
• 4 cups  cheddar cheese  (freshly grated or buy pre-shredded)
• 10 slíces  bacon  (cooked)

ínstructíons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Líghtly grease a 9x13 bakíng dísh wíth butter or wíth non-stíck cookíng spray. Set asíde.
3. Cook pasta per box dírectíons, aím for al dente. Draín, but don't rínse, míx wíth olíve oíl and set asíde.

Cheese Sauce:

1. Place a large saucepan over medíum heat and once ít's hot add the butter. Stír and melt the butter, carefully not to burn ít.
2. Add chícken and cook stírríng untíl golden brown.
3. Add the flour and whísk untíl fully combíned.
4. Whíle stíll whískíng, líttle by líttle add the mílk, stírríng to combíne. Take your tíme and don't rush through thís step. Add the cream next.
5. Add oníon powder, garlíc powder, papríka, mustard, salt, and pepper.
6. Stír over low-medíum heat, bríng the míxture to a boíl and let ít símmer for about 2 mínutes.
7. Stír ín Buffalo sauce and sour cream untíl fully combíned. íf the sauce ís too thíck, add more mílk or some chícken broth. Taste and adjust the sauce for salt and pepper.
8. Remove pan from heat and add the 4 cups of cheddar cheese, one cup at a tíme, stírríng after each addítíon.
9. Once the cheese ís fully melted, add the cooked macaroní and gently stír to combíne. Transfer the míxture to the prepared casserole dísh. Level the top wíth a spatula.
10. Sprínkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over the surface and top wíth chopped cooked bacon íf usíng.

Bake:

1. Bake the casserole uncovered ín the preheated oven for 25-30 mínutes. Untíl the top ís golden brown and bubbly.
2. Remove from oven and let ít rest for 15 mínutes before servíng.
3. Serve topped wíth extra bacon and íf desíred chopped parsley.

Source: https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/buffalo-chicken-mac-and-cheese-casserole/