{"id":121,"date":"2025-05-20T04:05:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T04:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/?p=121"},"modified":"2025-07-18T01:36:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T01:36:23","slug":"baked-mac-n-cheese-and-hot-honey-chicken-tenders-the-comfort-combo-you-didnt-know-you-needed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/?p=121","title":{"rendered":"Baked Mac n Cheese and Hot Honey Chicken Tenders: The Comfort Combo You Didn\u2019t Know You Needed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When comfort food is on your mind, few combos hit harder than a creamy dish of baked mac n cheese paired with crispy, sticky-sweet hot honey chicken tenders<\/strong>. It\u2019s rich, spicy, and satisfying in all the best ways. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just treating yourself to something indulgent, this meal checks every box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why This Combo Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Baked mac n cheese brings the creamy, cheesy comfort, while hot honey tenders deliver the crunch and heat. The contrast of textures and flavors is unbeatable. It\u2019s the kind of meal that makes you pause mid-bite and say, \u201cOkay, this is too good.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1: Baked Mac n Cheese<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u00bc cup unsalted butter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u00bc cup all-purpose flour<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 3 cups whole milk<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 1 cup heavy cream<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u00bd cup shredded Parmesan<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u00bd teaspoon garlic powder<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Salt and pepper, to taste<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Topping:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • \u00bd cup panko breadcrumbs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 2 tablespoons butter, melted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Instructions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Cook the Pasta<\/strong> \u2013 Boil macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Make the Sauce<\/strong> \u2013 Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour, and cook for 1\u20132 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and cream until thickened. Stir in garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cheeses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Combine<\/strong> \u2013 Mix pasta into the sauce and pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Top and Bake<\/strong> \u2013 Mix panko with melted butter, sprinkle over the top, and bake at 375\u00b0F (190\u00b0C) for 20\u201325 minutes, until bubbly and golden.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Part 2: Hot Honey Chicken Tenders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Ingredients<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        For the Tenders:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • 1 \u00bd pounds chicken tenders<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • 1 cup buttermilk<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • 1 teaspoon garlic powder<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • 1 teaspoon paprika<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • 1 \u00bd cups all-purpose flour<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Salt and pepper<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Oil for frying<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          For the Hot Honey:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • \u2153 cup honey<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • 1 \u00bd tablespoons hot sauce (adjust to taste)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • \u00bd tablespoon butter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Instructions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            1. Marinate the Chicken<\/strong> \u2013 In a bowl, mix buttermilk with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add chicken tenders and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Coat and Fry<\/strong> \u2013 Dredge tenders in seasoned flour. Heat oil in a skillet (about 350\u00b0F) and fry tenders until golden and crispy, about 4\u20135 minutes per side. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Make the Hot Honey<\/strong> \u2013 In a small saucepan, warm honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and butter until melted and combined.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            4. Drizzle or Toss<\/strong> \u2013 Spoon the hot honey over the tenders or toss them gently to coat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Serving Ideas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Serve the mac n cheese in deep bowls with crispy tenders on the side<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Add a fresh side like coleslaw or pickles to cut the richness<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Want more heat? Serve with extra hot honey or a side of ranch for dipping<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                This baked mac n cheese and hot honey chicken combo is everything we love about comfort food\u2014cheesy, crispy, spicy, and deeply satisfying. It\u2019s a little messy, a lot flavorful, and absolutely worth every bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n

                Stick around\u2014every visit tastes better than the last at The Buttered Bliss.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

                \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                When comfort food is on your mind, few combos hit harder than a creamy dish of baked mac n cheese paired with crispy, sticky-sweet hot honey chicken tenders. It\u2019s rich, spicy, and satisfying in all the best ways. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just treating yourself to something indulgent, this meal checks every box. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cooking-recipes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146,"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions\/146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebutteredbliss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}