Showdown: MY grand prize winning recipe in my new toy.

I had planned to test drive my new toy with my winning recipe, but I'd thought that meant that I'd be crocking this twice in the not so distant future. (Which would've been MORE than completely okay.) However, the stars must've aligned because my shiny new crock pot arrived on our doorstep late yesterday afternoon. JUST in time for today's crock.

THIS is the slow cooker I won. It's freakin' awesome.

"Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese" (6 quart pot)

The link to it on DinnerTool is HERE.

~3 T unsalted butter, divided
~4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
~1 onion, chopped
~1 celery stalk, chopped
~2 cloves garlic, chopped
~1 c Frank's Hot Sauce, Xtra Hot
~2 c elbow macaroni, uncooked
~3/2 c whole milk
~3/4 lbs of cheese ends, cubed (As far as I could tell, mine were Sharp Cheddar, American, and Muenster. There may have been other random cheeses in there, too.)
~1/2 t salt
~1/4 t ground black pepper
~1 c Panko breadcrumbs
~1/2 c crumbled blue cheese

Grease crock pot.
Melt 1 T butter in large skillet over medium high heat.
Brown chicken long enough that the pink is gone, but don't cook all the way through.
Set aside.
Add onion, celery, garlic, and hot sauce to skillet.
Cook until veggies are tender.
Add chicken to skillet and toss to coat.
Add mixture to crock pot.
Add macaroni, milk, cheese ends, salt, and pepper to crock pot.
Stir gently to mix.
Melt remaining 2 T butter.
Mix butter, blue cheese, and breadcrumbs in small bowl.
Add mixture to crock pot and spread it evenly.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

8 servings.

This recipe won me $1000 and a kick ass KitchenAid slow cooker. Do I even need to write a review?