"S'macked" -- My Quest to lighten-up Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to visit one of my dearest college friends, Katy, who is living it up in New York City pursuing her dream working in corporate fashion. I had the best time -- it felt like no time had passed (you know, those are the best friendships.)

Sarita's Mac ("S'Mac") in NYC 

Among walking the Brooklyn bridge, eating great street food, and visiting the area we lived in that one summer we interned in the city -- there was this one experience that put a fire in my belly in particular -- and that was ordering the Buffalo Chicken Baked Mac & Cheese at a hot eatery known as "S'MAC." It was delicious and one of those meals you know will set you back, but in a "I don't care, it tastes SO good" way. 

Love ya, Katy!!! I need to come back ASAP!

Upon returning to DC, I kept joking to my boyfriend that if recreate it, and he finally charged me up to stop talking about it and actually cook about it. So, I set out to recreate it in a way that (1) didn't add bulk to my hips, and (2) actually have a substantial amount of chicken, which is something Katy and I joked about the entire time. After doing my research, the best recipe I found was from Iowa Girl Eats. I then tweaked her recipe even further by switching up the proportions in favor of lighter calories and more creaminess: by using mostly Laughing Cow cheese and only 1 slice of cheddar instead of grated cheddar then some LC. I also didn't buy blue cheese because I wanted it to be easy on the wallet, meaning less ingredients in my cart.

The ultimate test: a happy boyfriend, who was full and commented on the "there's actually chicken chunks in here."

Katy, this one's for you!

Servings: 6

What You'll Need:
(The ingredients I changed from Iowa Girl's recipe are in bold)

• 8oz whole-wheat rotini
• 1lb chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• (1 lb is about 2 breasts)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1-1/2 cups fat-free half & half
• 6oz plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 4oz shredded cheddar cheese
• (not needed -- see below!)
• 5 Laughing Cow Light Swiss Wedges
• 3 Laughing Cow Light Cheddar Wedges
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons buffalo wing sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumb

My Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water with a little mixed in salt, for about 5 minutes (al dente.) Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again, and set aside.
2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place on the stove over medium-heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add chicken to pan and let cook until no longer pink. Set aside the chicken on a plate.
3. Return the skillet to the stove and add more cooking spray. Add the butter, and after it melts, at the flour. Stir continuously with a whisk (or a fork, if you don't have a whisk) for one minute. 
4. Pour in the half & half and stir well. After about 3 minutes, the half & half should be thickened. Turn off the heat.
5. Stir in the Greek yogurt then the cheese wedges (one by one.)
6. Once smooth, mix in the buffalo sauce.
7. Add in the cooked pasta and the chicken, and toss it well to make sure everything's coated in the cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, top it evenly with the bread crumbs, then drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of buffalo sauce on top.
8. Bake for 30 minutes. Bread crumbs should be golden brown (if not, turn your oven to the "broil" setting and let roast for 3 more minutes!)
9. Serve and enjoy.

I want to know -- what have you had and loved?

What are you inspired by??

Let me know -- shoot me an email at thehaventable@gmail.com.

xoxo n

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a note on butter

I used a buffalo sauce brand called "Wing Time" that is creamy and delicious -- think of your favorite sports bar wings. The typical (and greatest) wing sauce is made from mixing hot sauce and butter, so instead of adding the two tablespoons of butter to the pan like Iowa Girl did, I cut it down by half -- because I knew the sauce had it covered. Know that in making food "healthier" -- sometimes you got to take a second and think -- what is already in my ingredients? Who wants to eat butter twice? Ok, we all do -- but honestly -- when was the last time butter did anything good for us? Well, let me not preach -- but I'm going on a cruise this upcoming week, and when I take off that towel and show my swimsuit to the world -- trust me, I'm not going to cry that I didnt have that extra tablespoon. Cheers! 

S'Mac picture: Phude-Nyc

Recipe Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats' "Lighter Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese"