If you are here reading tonight’s post, then I must first begin by saying thank you, since it probably took forever for the page to upload. I’m still in the process of trying to figure out what in the world is going on with the blog, so I sincerely apologize for the extremely slowness that is most likely occurring on your end.
If there is anyone super tech-savvy out there that thinks they might have a clue, feel free to let me know because I’m about *this close* to pulling my hair out.
Thankfully, I’ve had a few things to help keep me sane this evening…
Like finishing off the last of my $3.99 bottle of wine.
Spending time with my favorite little cuddle buddy blog hacker.
Relaxing on the couch with my non banana-bread eating hubby (even though he’s eating it NOW).
And doing all of this after eating an amazing dinner of Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese.
Oh yes, I did it. I got so fed up this afternoon with technology that I headed to the kitchen and let out all my frustrations at the stove.
Apparently, I should cook more often when I’m frustrated because tonight’s dinner was good. Real good. And it’s still semi-healthy, so I think you should try making this for yourself ASAP.
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Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
(Recipe adapted from my Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Mac & Cheese)
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 2 slices bacon
- 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot (Original or Buffalo – I used buffalo)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or 1/2 tbsp corn starch)
- 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
- 1/3 cup condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 3/4 cup shredded six-cheese Italian blend
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
- Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté about 5 minutes, then add onion, celery, and hot sauce. Continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour (or cornstarch) evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken. Add additional hot sauce, if desired (I added about another 1/4 cup here).
- Preheat broiler. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and mozz/cheddar cheese. Broil 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts. ENJOY!
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*****
To keep things simple, I served our mac and cheese with some steamed snow peas that I found hiding out in the freezer.
Now, most of you guys already know that I’m really not one for spicy foods, but this dish was well worth the extra fire that is still happening inside of my mouth right now.
I’m pretty excited about the fact that we have a ton of this still left…anyone want to come join me for lunch leftovers tomorrow? 
Question for the Evening:
What are some of your favorite ways to de-stress when you’re frustrated?
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