When I took a trip back home to Michigan recently, my mom and I decided to try out Rachael Ray’s Buffalo Chicken Chili Mac. As the story goes, Ray-Ray created this dish for the U.S. Olympic team and it will be served in Beijing.
We had so much fun making this, mainly because we got to use the Mighty Wok to cook all of the tasty veggies. This was the first thing my mom and I made together in a long time, so of course we had a blast doing it!
All of the tangy and spicy flavors really come together nicely—talk about a party in your mouth! We made a couple minor tweeks to the original recipe, but here's what we came up with. Enjoy.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 pounds (about 4 to 6, depending on size) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bits
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound whole wheat pasta, your choice of shape
- 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 scallions, root ends removed and thinly sliced
- **We also sprinkled fresh cilantro from my mom’s garden on top. That was definitely a sweet move.
To make cutting the chicken easier, place it into the freezer for about 15 minutes until it firms up slightly but isn’t frozen through. This will let you cut it up quickly into small pieces.
Preheat broiler and place a large pot of salted water over high heat to bring up to a boil for the whole wheat pasta.
Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chicken bits and brown them, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the veggies, stirring frequently, until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer the chili for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together and thicken it slightly.
While the chili is simmering, toss the pasta into the boiling salted water and cook until al dente according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and toss it into the chili, then transfer everything to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the top and place it under the broiler until the cheeses have melted and the top is golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle the chopped scallions over the top and watch this one disappear in no time.
Served with cool cantaloupe to cut through the hot flavors -- eee!
My best-est pal Jessie told me about this great avocado salsa she had at a Fourth of July party. All she told me was that it included chunks of avocado, corn and lime juice—and that she devoured it.
