Buffalo Chicken Pasta

There are certain flavors that we all gravitate towards. In this household, all things covered in buffalo sauce or mixed with cheese are high on our list of favorites. This was definitely a winner and made it into our favorites recipe book!

Ingredients
1 lb pasta, cooked al dente
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1 inch cubes
         *seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/3 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup butter
        *1/3 cup bottled buffalo sauce can be substituted for hot sauce and butter
4 oz of monterey jack cheese, grated + extra for topping
4 oz of cheddar cheese, grated + extra for topping
1 tsp of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta al dente and chicken to your liking. Melt 1/4 cup butter and add to hot sauce, set aside. Melt 1 tbsp butter in sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of flour and make a light roux (should be a light tan color). Add milk in slowly, stirring so there are no lumps. Milk should thicken slightly, removed from heat and slowly add in cheese. Change stove setting to low heat and place pan back on stove, add in buffalo sauce mixture. Season sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Combine pasta, chicken and sauce and place into oven safe dish. Evenly distribute extra cheese on top, then panko bread crumbs. Place in oven for 25 minutes.

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

*We felt that the last step of putting the dish in the oven could be omitted and next time might toast the panko separately to add on top of this dish. You can change any recipe to your specific tastes!

Enjoy!