Buffalo Chicken Bites and Panera's Mac & Cheese

I feel like it has been a while since I have posted some new recipes! It has been a crazy couple of weeks and I am glad to see life starting to go back to normal. All I am going to say is life sure is a crazy roller coaster and I hoping for a smooth part of the roller coaster for a little while. The first recipe I made about two weeks ago and the other one I made last night. They were both super yummy and pretty easy. And yes I found both of them on Pinterest!

Buffalo Chicken Bites: 
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
(4-5 breasts. I used 3 and that was not really enough)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (to taste)
- 3 1/2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 3/4 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3-4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a large baking
sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream
cheese, hot sauce, cheddar cheese and green onions.
3. Roll a heaping tablespoon of mixture into a 1 1/2-inch
 ball and place onto a plate or separate baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining mixture.
4. Place flour in a shallow dish.
5. In a second shallow dish, place eggs.
6. In a third shallow dish, place cornflakes.
7. Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then the egg and ending with the Cornflakes. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.

I did not have parchment paper and I didn't want to spend the money on it for one recipe. I just made sure the pan was sprayed really well and it turned out ok.  I also used Texas Pete hot sauce and I think it would be fun to try different hot sauces to get different flavors.

Panera's Stove Top Mac and Cheese: 
- 16 oz pipette pasta or other small pasta shapes
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half
- 4 oz white American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces
- 8 oz extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded
- 2 tsp - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (adjust to your taste)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce

Directions:
1. In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4 quart sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 1/2 minutes whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes.
3. Remove sauce pan from the heat and by the handful, stir in the cheese allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more. Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce. Return the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta. Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through. Serve hot in blows with spoons.

I know it sounds crazy to have Dijon mustard and hot sauce in the Mac & Cheese but you couldn't really taste either so it just must add that something special. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did :)