This Buffalo Chicken Casserole is an easy and delicious recipe! Tender chicken is tossed in a creamy ranch sauce with just the right amount of kick. Toss it in pasta and tons of cheese and then bake it to bubbly perfection!
Why You Will Love Buffalo Chicken Casserole
- SIMPLE, EASY RECIPE – With just a handful of common ingredients and a couple of minutes of prep, this dish is ready in no time! It’s a lot like our Easy Shipwreck Casserole!
- PERFECT FOR GAME DAY – We are basically making everyone’s favorite party Buffalo Chicken Party Dip into a full fledged meal. It’s great to make for friends and family.
- MAKE AHEAD RECIPE – This dish is easy to combine together the night before, stick in your fridge and then bake as needed. It’s also freezer friendly!
- DELICIOUS – Smooth, creamy, cheesy and the ranch sauce balances out the spice perfectly. Top it with tons of cheese and you’ve got a winning dinner on your hands!
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
This dish is so simple to make. Really you just need to dump and mix all of the ingredients into a prepared casserole dish. For step-by-step instructions, check out the printable recipe card below. But, here is what you’ll need to get started:
- ELBOW MACARONI – Cooked and strained. You can really use any sort of pasta you’d like. Rigatoni, bowtie, macaroni or penne would all work.
- CREAM CHEESE – Softened. There are some fun flavors and varieties that would also be great in this dish, like: Garden Vegetable, Jalapeno or even Buffalo Style Cream Cheese for a little more kick!
- BUFFALO WING SAUCE – Any brand will do. A lot of people use Frank’s Wing Sauce. But please not that Buffalo Wing Sauce is different than just plain hot sauce. Wing sauce has butter added to it, and is what you want for this recipe.
- MILK – We used 2% milk. But you can use skim to lighten the dish up a bit. Or even half and half to make it a little richer and creamier.
- DRY RANCH SEASONING – You’ll just need the powder in the packet. Don’t follow the directions on the package.
- SHREDDED, COOKED CHICKEN – Use a rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. Or leftover chicken could work too. Otherwise it’s best to boil the chicken or use an Instant Pot before shredding.
- SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE – You can also use any sort of soft cheese you’d like.
- GREEN ONIONS – Chopped. Optional for a garnish.
Storage, Freezing and Leftovers
Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should be good for about 4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, or in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Buffalo Chicken Casserole is very freezer friendly. Just let cool to room temperature. Then put in a freezer safe container and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw out overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes, Tips and FAQs
- IS BUFFALO CHICKEN CASSEROLE TOO SPICY? – If you have a lower tolerance for spiciness, you can always use less buffalo sauce. You can actually always add a little more after baking if you’d like.
- ADD CELERY – Chop and add some fresh celery for a little extra crunch and texture.
- CAN I MAKE BUFFALO CHICKEN CASSEROLE HEALTHIER? – Some ideas to make this dish healthier include using low fat cream cheese, low fat cheese, skim milk or even substituting the pasta for cooked cauliflower.
- TOP WITH BISCUITS – I’ve seen some versions of this dish that adds refrigerated biscuit dough to the top before baking. Delicious!
We hope you enjoy this Buffalo Chicken Casserole. We’d love to hear how it turns out in the comment section below.
LOOKING FOR MORE BUFFALO RECIPES? CHECK OUT:
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni cooked and drained
- 1 brick 8 ounces, cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 package 1 oz, dry ranch seasoning
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- chopped fresh green onions for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine cream cheese and wing sauce.
- Add milk.
- Add Ranch seasoning. Using a mixer, beat until smooth.
- Fold in chicken. Add 1-1/2 cups of cheese and mix well.
- Add macaroni.
- Spread mixture into prepared pan and top with remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly around the edges and cheese is melted in the center.
- Remove from oven, discard foil and top with green onions before serving if desired.
Nutrition
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