Buffalo Chicken Alfredo

Buffalo Chicken Alfredo, as the name suggests, consists of buffalo sauce, chicken...and you guessed it...alfredo.  Each component individually  is delicious but how does it stack up when combined?  Well I'm here to tell you that it is indeed....delicious.  I personally thought that the cheese-spice balance was perfect, although Casey thought it was a tad spicy(this is Kevin writing btw).  For this recipe we used original Frank's Red Hot sauce which is one of my favorites.  If you don't like as much heat you could try buying Frank's wing sauce which isn't as spicy, or make your own buffalo wing sauce by melting in some butter with original Frank's(fun fact: this is how the original buffalo sauce was made).  We used smaller chicken tender cutlets to get a higher breading to chicken ratio which worked out very nicely with the pasta.  This was a pretty easy recipe to make, and well worth the investment of time.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients
1 lb fettuccine pasta
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb chicken tenders
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons milk
1 ½ cup Italian style bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup half and half
3 oz Mascarpone cheese
½ cup buffalo wing sauce
½ cup Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, combine egg and milk in a bowl. Add breadcrumbs to a separate bowl.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dredge chicken in egg mixture, followed by bread crumbs. Cook in skillet until evenly browned, about 6-8 minute per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken. Set chicken aside and keep warm.

Melt butter in the same skillet, slowly pour in half and half and stir in mascarpone cheese until it is fully incorporated. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and buffalo wing sauce. Let sauce cook for at least 1 minute to thicken.

When pasta is ready, drain and combine with buffalo sauce. Serve with chicken tenders.

Buffalo Chicken Melts

This past weekend Kevin and I decided to make Buffalo Chicken Melts.  We had made these before and really liked them so we thought we would share.  This is a healthy and very flavorful recipe from the Skinnytaste Cookbook.  It is a gluten free recipe (yes, even the bread) that the anti-anti gluten people in your life will even enjoy! Just ask Kev, he loves them! We have experimented with both the cheese (sliced pepper jack vs. shredded) and the chicken (the slow cooker version below and rotisserie) and every way has turned out amazing! If pepper jack is too spicy, try a cheddar or Monterey jack cheese. And if you're pressed on time, just use the rotisserie, it will be fast and still healthy and full of flavor! Kevin and I did this on our second time making this and it was excellent.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Melts

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) convenient slow-cooker shredded chicken (recipe below) or breast meat from a store bought rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon gluten free mayonnaise

2 1/2 tablespoons Frank's RedHot sauce

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

4 slices multigrain bread, lightly toasted (I used Udi's whole grain bread)

8 thin slices tomato (we did 4, 1 on each)

4 slices pepper jack cheese

Preheat the broiler. 

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, carrots, celery, red onion, mayo, hot sauce, and cayenne (if using). 

Arrange the toast on a baking sheet and put 2 slices of tomato on each (see ingredient list). Divide the chicken salad evenly among the slices and top with 1 slice of cheese. Broil until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 2 minutes. 

Convenient Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds)

3 cups chicken broth or water

1 onion, quartered (optional *I used)

1 celery stalk (optional *I used)

1 sprig fresh parsley (optional * I did not use)

In a slow cooker, combine the chicken, just enough broth or water to cover, and any remaining ingredients you're using. Cover and cook on high 4 hours. 

Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Discard the remaining liquid and vegetables. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

Buffalo Chicken Soup

My favorite thing about the winter is making delicious soups to eat. They just warm you straight to the bone when the days are so frigid. Making the same ones over and over can get a little mundane, so I'm always on the hunt for new exciting recipes. This recipe, found here, came on a day when I really wanted soup, but didn't have (or particularly want) to spend a ton of time cooking. I love all things buffalo chicken so I had to try it! In a super quick 30 minutes I had dinner on the table and ready to devour. Overall, the soup was very tasty. My only gripe was the only real buffalo flavoring I got was from the additional hot sauce I added to the top. My solution, I just added more obviously. The recipe is great as is if you are making it for people that don't like things too hot or even kids eating the soup (just add the extra hot sauce at your discretion). Next time though, I am going to initially add more than the 1 teaspoon, maybe bump it up to 1/4 of a cup and see how that goes! It is a quick and easy recipe for all the buffalo chicken flavor lovers out there! Hopefully it warms you up on a cold day! Enjoy!  

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Ingredients
4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or 2 14 ounce cans)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Frank's)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/3 cup flour

Optional

Additional hot sauce for topping

Extra cheese for topping

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in broth, milk, and hot sauce.

In a bowl toss together mozzarella, 1 cup of the cheddar, parmesan, and flour. Gradually add to soup, stirring after each addition just until melted.

Stir in three cups of the shredded chicken and heat through.

Top with remaining chicken, cheese, and hot sauce if desired.