Description
A rich and indulgent comfort dish featuring creamy mac and cheese topped with crispy fried chicken coated in a sweet and spicy hot honey glaze, finished with a drizzle of ranch dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 2 cups boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oil in a deep skillet to medium-high heat and bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Soak chicken pieces in buttermilk. In a separate bowl, mix flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Beat eggs in a bowl and prepare a dredging station with egg and flour mixture.
- Dip chicken into egg, then coat evenly in flour mixture.
- Fry chicken in hot oil for 6 to 8 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside. Cook macaroni until tender and drain.
- In a saucepan, melt butter, add milk, then stir in cheddar and mozzarella cheese until smooth. Mix in cooked macaroni.
- Toss fried chicken with hot sauce and honey, then place over mac and cheese. Drizzle ranch dressing on top and serve warm.
Notes
- Use freshly shredded cheese for smoother melting.
- Do not overcrowd the frying pan to keep chicken crispy.
- Adjust hot sauce and honey to control spice level.
- Add a splash of milk when reheating to maintain creaminess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 720
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
Keywords: hot honey chicken mac and cheese, fried chicken mac and cheese, comfort food pasta, cheesy chicken pasta, sweet and spicy chicken mac