Nashville Hot Chicken Mac And Cheese Recipe

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The only way you could possibly make Nashville hot chicken any better is by combining it with an equally as delicious mac and cheese. Both known for being comfort foods, the hot, crispy chicken and rich, creamy pasta make for a combination impossible not to like. Nashville hot chicken, which is known for being served with bread (or between buns) and plenty of tangy pickles, is made from scratch in this recipe written with developer Michelle McGlinn. The typical bread pairing is replaced in this recipe by creamy, rich mac and cheese made with Gouda, white cheddar, and mild cheddar, then topped with pickle-flavored potato chips for the perfect, subtle taste of salty, punchy pickles.

Despite featuring two distinct elements, this recipe is easy enough to prepare thanks to our simple, straightforward approach. The chicken is first brined, then floured and fried, then sauced in a thick and spicy Nashville hot sauce. With the chicken made, the mac and cheese comes together in mere minutes, melting into creamy, gooey perfection in one skillet. The cheesy, crispy, spicy combination you never knew you needed, this Nashville hot chicken mac and cheese recipe is the epitome of comfort food.

This recipe is made in three parts: first the chicken, then the sauce, and finally the mac and cheese. While many ingredients overlap, you'll need plenty of unique ingredients for each part of the recipe. For the chicken, you'll need chicken thighs or breasts, buttermilk, pickle juice, hot sauce, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and oil for frying. From there, you'll also need butter, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, black pepper, and honey to make the Nashville hot sauce. To make the mac and cheese, you'll just need pasta (we like cavatappi), whole milk, Gouda, white cheddar, mild cheddar, and pickle flavored potato chips for topping.

Combine the buttermilk, pickle juice, and hot sauce in a bowl or large bag.

Add the chicken and submerge, then seal or cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350 F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture and, if needed, transfer the buttermilk to a bowl.

Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, then dip in the buttermilk and coat again in flour.

Add the dredged chicken to the oil and fry until golden, turning as necessary, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Once fried, set the chicken aside to drain on a wire rack.

To make the Nashville hot sauce, first melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the brown sugar, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and honey and stir to combine.

Add the oil to the sauce to thin it a bit, stirring until pourable.

Coat the chicken in the Nashville hot sauce and set aside.

To make the mac and cheese, first melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat.

Add the flour and stir to create a roux. Do not allow to burn.

Add the milk and stir constantly until thick, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses and salt until smooth.

Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine.

To serve, sprinkle the mac and cheese with crushed pickle chips. Slice the chicken and serve it on top of the mac and cheese bowl.

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What we refer to as pickle chips in the ingredients list aren't actual pickles, but rather, potato chips with pickle flavoring. A unique, recently-popular item that many brands are picking up, the chip adds the same acidic, vinegar-forward flavor that crisp, fresh pickles have, all with the familiar salty bite of a potato chip. They're the perfect way to add the classic pickle flavor to a Nashville hot mac and cheese without overwhelming the creamy, rich cheese. There is a chance, though, that your local store isn't as keen on the potato chip trend, and in that case, there are other ways to incorporate pickle flavor.

The Lays pickle-flavored potato chips are actually ranked last among pickle chip makers for their lack of texture and subtle pickle flavor. Texture isn't too important, here, though, since the chips are being crushed, and there's even some wiggle room on flavor. The next closest chip is a salt and vinegar chip, which isn't as dilly as pickle chips but similarly punchy. You could also use sour cream and onion chips, which add a more herbal flavor than acidic (this is especially good if you don't like pickles). If nothing else, you can also simply top with plain potato chips or panko for a simple, salty bite.

Nashville hot sauce differs from Buffalo sauce in many ways. First, while both can be made with butter, Buffalo sauce is mixed with vinegar and hot sauce, while Nashville hot sauce is mixed with brown sugar and spices. This process causes Buffalo sauce to have a smooth, liquid-like texture, while Nashville hot sauce is often closer to a paste. The paste can be thinned as needed using the frying oil from the chicken, which adds a rich chicken flavor to the sauce. Then, the sauce is brushed onto the chicken and typically wedged between buns, usually still thick enough that the sauce almost acts as a crust. For chicken that tops mac and cheese, thinner sauce is more appealing.

When adding the spices to the butter, you'll notice the sauce gets extremely thick, almost solidifying completely. Add oil as written to thin back to a smooth, liquid sauce, stirring constantly. If the sauce is still too thick, you can use more oil, butter, or even the frying oil to thin further, whisking on low heat to incorporate. Once the sauce is thinned to your liking, brush it thinly over the chicken.

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