Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

I wasn't sure how I would like this recipe.  I'm not a fan of mixing certain foods and normally I like my mac and cheese without other food in it.  But I decided to give it a go.  The pin for this recipe took me back to Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour.  I made the recipe just as she had it listed with one exception.  I ended up making twice the cheese sauce, because I found it too dry with just the one batch.  I am going to retype her recipe, but put the changes I will make next time in a different color.  The amount of casserole this made would be fine, if you had a big family to feed or were serving it at a party.

Also--this took a LONG time to make.  Just a warning.

Ingredients;
1 lb pasta (I used Rotini--corkscrew pasta...just because that is what I had in the cabinet)--(If I make this again, I will use 1/2 this much--I ended up with WAY too much pasta)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed (I cubed it and then cooked it, but then I decided I didn't want a bunch of chunks in my mac and cheese, so I put the cubes in my Magic Bullet blender and made ground chicken.  I do think I preferred it ground, but again, I would use less in the pasta.)
1 TBSP flour
4-6 TBSP butter
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz grated monterrey jack cheese (1/2 a brick, plus more for topping)
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I LOVE sharp cheddar cheese; if you are not a fan, you could use mild)
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (I'd never bought this before--I went with Sweet Baby Rays because I love his BBQ sauce)
1/3 Panko bread crumbs (I used "Pearls" suggestions and used some croutons I had in the pantry.  You could really use any type of crunchy topping)

Steps:
1.  Before starting you will need to have your chicken cooked and cut up.

2.  Cook the pasta
3.  While cooking the pasta, make up the cheese/buffalo sauce (I did this step twice, because it was too dry--but if you half the pasta and chicken, you shouldn't have a problem)
     A. Melt butter in a sauce pan (use medium-low heat, stir so it doesn't burn)
     B. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the flour
     C. Stir over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until goldenish in color
     D. Add milk.  Stir over low heat.  (The recipe says stir until milk thickens, I stirred and stirred and it never thickened.  I stirred for awhile then went on to the next step)
     E. Add the cheeses.  Stir until the mixture is smooth
     F. Stir in the buffalo sauce & remove from heat
4. Once the pasta is done cooking, mix the pasta and chicken and pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan
5. Pour the cheese/buffalo sauce over it, making sure to cover all the pasta
6. Sprinkle with crunchies and more cheese.  (I used all of my monterrey jack in my second batch of cheese sauce, so I just improvised with the cheese in my fridge--I'm a Frakes, I have a fridge full a cheese...)
7. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown

8. Drizzle with more buffalo sauce (totally forgot this step, but it was spicy enough for me)
9. Serve with Ranch dressing, if so desired

--This was okay (my sister and boyfriend said they really liked it, I wasn't a huge fan), but probably not something that I will make a lot.  It took a lot of time.  I think I would prefer regular mac and cheese baked in the oven and actual buffalo wings (which I have not made--may have to try that sometime).

Up next: Upside down potato and onion tart