This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is a flavorful casserole dish with savory chicken, Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, and rigatoni pasta.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ cup buffalo wing sauce, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups milk
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 4 cups shredded Colby cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 (16-ounce) box rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet using a slotted spoon.
- In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet, and stir in ½ cup wing sauce. Remove from heat.
- In a large saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, broth, and remaining ¼ cup wing sauce until smooth. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Gradually stir in Colby and Monterey Jack until melted and smooth. Stir chicken mixture and cooked pasta into cheese sauce until well combined; spoon mixture into prepared pan. In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, blue cheese, and parsley; sprinkle onto casserole.
- Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 7439 Fat: 375g Saturated fat: 223g Unsaturated fat: 126g Trans fat: 4g Carbohydrates: 505g Sugar: 56g Sodium: 6070mg Fiber: 29g Protein: 494g Cholesterol: 1583mg
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