Let me start by saying this dish was as easy as 1..2...3 🙂 Crock pot meals are great, and make for easy cleanup too. This buffalo chicken mac & cheese was so good.. Funny story on this one, I had someone email a request for this exact dish, and little did she know it was in my "to make" book, which keeps growing and growing 😉 Her email made me bring it to the top of the list, cause you all know I needed another buffalo chicken dish..like pronto! Btw- if the person who emailed me is reading this, I tried to reply and the mail was returned 🙁 but none the less I hope you enjoy my creation. It's not your typical loaded cheesy macaroni, cause well let's face it this is a weight watcher friendly recipe blog, but I do think you will all love the end result. I sure did! Makes 8-1 cup servings at 5 smart points each..
Crock pot buffalo chicken mac & cheese
Ingredients
- 20 ounces raw boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup franks hot sauce
- 3 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni pasta
- 2 cups milk I used 1%
- ⅓ cup plain 0% yogurt reg or greek is fine
- 2 oz light cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded light cheese I used a 3 cheese blend
Instructions
- Place your chicken, broth and hot sauce in your crock pot, cook on high for 3 hours (or low for 6-7)
- Boil your pasta on stove for 5 minutes only just before your chicken is ready, set aside.
- Using two forks shred your chicken apart in the crock pot.
- Add in cooked pasta, milk, yogurt, cream cheese and shredded cheese.
- Cook on low for 2 hours.
- Makes 8-1 cup servings
- Store leftovers in fridge or can be frozen.
Notes
Smart points per serving- (green) 6 using WW recipe builder
Smart Points per serving- (purple) 2 using WW recipe builder
Points plus per serving- 6 using points plus calculator
Nutritional info per 1 cup serving.. Calories 235... Fat 5.5g...Sat fat 3.1g... Carbs 19.4g... Fiber 2.2g...Sugar 4.4g... Protein 28.3g using My Fitness Pal
Eileen Hagen
Thanks so much, Kate, for doing this and so quickly. I'll be trying it this week. I'm sorry your email was returned. I've been having some issues with my email and, hopefully, it's worked it's way out. Take care!
Drizzle
Hi Eileen.. Yay.. Glad I found you 🙂 I did'nt wan't you thinking I was ignoring your email.. I hope you enjoy this.. just a simple dish with what I thought was great results 🙂
Eileen Hagen
It's delicious! Thanks!
Lindsey
Hi Kate! I'm in Canada and wondering what brand and kind of macaroni did you use 🙂
Drizzle
Hi Lindsey, I buy the PC blue menu whole wheat macaroni 🙂
Michelle G
This looks so amazing! My family probably won't go for it but it would be amazing for me to make for my lunches. I'm new to WW and loving your site!
Drizzle
Hi Michelle, glad your enjoying the site/recipes.. You could freeze this into single servings 🙂
Danielle
Do you cook the macaroni completely before adding it to the crock pot? Or only cook it for 5 mins so it is not completely cooked before adding it to the crock? Want to make this today to freeze for meals the next couple weeks.
Drizzle
Yes, just the amount stated in the recipe (I think it says 5 or 6 minutes, sorry not on that page right now) it won't be fully cooked as it will finish cooking in crock pot, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Joy
This is one of those delicious recipes that when the last serving is gone you can't help thinking if making it twice in one week is too soon. I think not! 😉
Drizzle
Haha! I love that you loved it that much Joy 🙂
Jen
Making this for dinner tonight. This sounds so good. Made your taco pie last night and it was a huge hit. Thanks.
Drizzle
Hi Jen, hope you enjoy it, and so glad to hear you enjoyed the taco pie 🙂
Amy
Can you use frozen chicken breasts? That what I usually use in all my crockpot recipes
Drizzle
Do you mean put chicken in crock pot frozen and cook? I think so, just might require a little longer to cook
Jesica
Do you cook your macaroni and Then only use 3 cups of cooked macaroni in the recipe?? I always get confused with portions when the box says for x amount if that's cooked or uncooked because it expands and there is a difference.
Drizzle
I used 3 cups of partially cooked pasta, as recipe states boil for 5 min only, hope that helps
Teresa Hubert
So is it 3 cups dry pasta and then you cook it or 3 cups after it is cooked? Thanks for your help. I love your site. This is my 3rd recipe in 3 days from your site.
Dawn Schoenberg
Do you think this would be good with crab meat or shrimp?
Drizzle
Yeah I think so, I don't like seafood but if you do I can't see why it wouldn't work 🙂
Chantelle
Hey Driz! Nice recipe. So delicious. It’s a staple at our house!
For anyone looking for an instant pot friendly version , here is what I did:
***please note: My version calls for three cups of DRY macaroni noodles. That increases the points so do your own calculations***
Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in the instant pot. Pour 1 cup-ish of chicken broth in with it. Cook on manual high Mode for 10 minutes. Do a quick release.
-Shred the chicken with two forks and add back into the pot with the original liquid. Spread out shredded chicken evenly over the bottom of the pot.
-measure out 3 cups-ish of dry macaroni. Spread evenly over the chicken. Don’t stir. Add water or chicken broth so the pasta is JUST covered. Add about 1/8 cup of hot sauce on top.
-set to high manual mode for 7 minutes. Do a quick release.
- stir the chicken and noodles together. Add in ONLY ONE CUP OF MILK. You have leftover liquid in the pot. Add the milk in slowly. I added in about 1/3 cup and then added more as needed.
-stir in cheese, cubed cream cheese and Greek yogurt. I did it in stages. Added half, stirred well. Added more milk, stirred, added the rest of the ingredients, stirred. A bit more milk.
Then stir in your remaining hot sauce.
Hope that helps. Sounds complicated but actually super easy.
Drizzle
Hi Chantelle, thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Tiffany
Do you think it will freeze well?
Drizzle
I think so 🙂
Nina Bolinder
Hi Kate,
Is Franks Hot sauce really spicy and do the end result play out really spicy?
We like mild-medium but not hot.
Would 1/2 the amt. be fine?
Thanks.
Drizzle
Hi Nina, franks is spicy yes but over all this dish is not crazy spicy, I think you will find it ok and sure you can lower the amount, maybe add in a little water to accommodate the loss of liquid
Carleigh
This was great! Perfect for when you are craving carbs and cheese. Nice little kick to it too!
Drizzle
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
A
Looks wonderful! I just cooked my cheicken in the crock pot. Do I drain the excess liquid or retain it? Thanks!
Drizzle
I drain the liquid
Drizzle
Sorry, I was wrong, you do NOT drain it (I was thinking of another recipe)
Ana
Yum! Making this for tonight. Question: do you include all the liquid that's left after cooking the chicken? There's quite a lot!
Drizzle
Sorry I was late getting to this .. sorry I replied to quickly on the last one, no you do not drain it
Allison Isbell
Hey how much is one serving?
Drizzle
Recipe states 1 cup servings 🙂
Julie
Love your recipes! How would I adjust this recipe to cook in an instant pot?
Drizzle
Hi Julie, glad your enjoying the recipes, I'm sorry but I don't have a instapot so I'm not much help on that one
Dave smith
Hi there, my name is Dave and I am a disabled guy with half of my left leg and half of my right foot . I love this recipe for buffalo mac & cheese! Thank you for posting this I’m always looking for easy things to make in my crockpot !!!!!
Drizzle
Hi Dave, I am so glad to hear you enjoyed the mac & cheese 🙂 Crockpot meals definitely make life easier
Angela Patterson
Love this recipe! Do you think you could freeze e everything but the pasta and add that later?
Drizzle
Hi Angela, so glad you enjoy it 🙂 I have never tried doing that but it sounds like it would probably work out well
Alana
what happens if you don't have two hours to cook the pasta could you cook it almost all the way and then just put it back in the Crock-Pot on high for like a half an hour with the other stuff and mix it together
Drizzle
Hi Alana, yes that should work out fine