Tabañero Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese Pizza

Recipe type: Pizza   Prep time:  2 hours 30 mins  Cook time:  25 mins  

Total time:  2 hours 55 mins

Serves: 8

A great pizza recipe that combines everything you would expect in buffalo chicken, with the addition of creamy macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients

• Ingredients for the Pizza Dough:
  • 3 3/4 Cup of Bread Flour
  • 2 1/2 Tsp. Active Dry Yeast
  • 3/4 Tsp. Table Salt
  • 3/4 Tsp. Sugar
  • 1 1/3 Cups of Room Temperature Water
     
• Ingredients for the Buffalo Chicken:
  • 1 1/2 Cups of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into Cubes
  • 1/4 Cup of Corn Starch
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper
  • 2 Cups of Canola Oil
  • Tabanero Original Hot Sauce

• Ingredients for the Macaroni & Cheese:
  • 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
  • 2 Cups of Milk
  • 2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper
  • Water
  • 1/2 Lb. of Elbow Macaroni Noodles
     
• Ingredients for the Pizza:
  • 4 Slices of Provolone Cheese
  • 1/2 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
  • 1 Rib of Celery, Thinly Sliced

Directions

1. Make the dough by mixing the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and mix until blended. The dough should be a bit stiff. Place it in a bowl, cover, and let it sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume (will take about 2 hours).
2. To make the Buffalo chicken, add the cubed chicken to a small mixing bowl and lightly coat with the corn starch, salt, and pepper. Stir to lightly coat all of the chicken. In a pan, heat oil to 350 degrees. In small batches, cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and lightly season with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Add the cooked chicken to another small mixing bowl and toss in Tabañero Original Hot Sauce, coating the chicken.
3. Boil the pasta in water for the macaroni & cheese, drain, and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once the butter is nice and bubbly, toss in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook and continue stirring on medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add in the milk and continue cooking until you have a nice, thick sauce. Keep stirring the sauce to avoid clumps. Add the cooked macaroni noodles to a mixing bowl, and toss in the cheese. Then pour the thickened sauce into the bowl and give it a few good stirs. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once the pizza dough has had enough time to rise, place it onto a floured surface and hand-form it into a round ball. Cover it with a moistened kitchen towel and let it sit for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven and pizza stone or pan to 500 degrees.
5. Flatten your dough into a large disc shape and lay down four slices of provolone cheese, arranging accordingly to cover the surface area. Next add the macaroni & cheese and spread it on top of the entire pizza, keeping it close to the edges. Top the entire pie with the cooked chicken and then shower it with blue cheese crumbles.
6. Place the pizza in the preheated oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the macaroni & cheese is bubbly.
7. Remove the pizza from the oven and slide it onto a cookie rack to retain a nice, crisp crust. Shower the cooked pie with sliced celery pieces and drizzle a bit more Tabañero Original Hot Sauce over the top. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.