Oh yes I did!
The Quinoa Mac and Cheese I shared a couple weeks ago was such a hit with Ben, myself AND you guys, that I decided to spruce it up a bit with the addition of chicken, not one but two types of cheese, and dun-dun-dunhhhh buffalo sauce – muwahaha!
I’m calling my Frankenstein creation Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Mac and Cheese, which is kind of a mouthful – but then again, so is the dish.
Ok I have to admit – I had absolutely no idea how this recipe was going to turn out. A classic cheese sauce made with flour, milk and cheese would make up the base, that much I knew, but how would the chicken, buffalo sauce and quinoa mix in? Would the buffalo sauce play nice with the cheese sauce? Clash with the naturally nutty taste of the quinoa? Turn into a gooey mess?
There was only one way to find out, of course, so I charged full speed ahead and right on into the kitchen. Here’s the recipe I came up with!
Start by cooking 1-1/4 cups rinsed quinoa in water until cooked and tender.
Meanwhile, season 1 chicken breast with garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper, then cook it in a skillet with non-stick spray. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces, and set it aside.
Next make the cheesy sauce that binds everything together. Start by whisking 1/2 cup milk together with 2 Tablespoons flour in a medium-sized skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
Add an additional cup of milk, and a couple sliced green onions, then bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly.
After the mixture boils continuously for one full minute, take it off the heat and add in the goodies, starting with 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons buffalo sauce.
(I like Frank’s the best!)
and 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
BTW – I like shredding cheese for sauces myself, as bags of pre-shredded cheese have cornstarch and other ingredients added to make sure they don’t clump together, which results in a less velvety smooth sauce, imo.
A quick spin through my food processor using the shredding blade took care of it lickity split. Alternatively, a box grater would work “grate”. HA! Right.
Stir the mixture together until the cheese is completely melted, then stir in the cooked quinoa and chopped chicken.
Pour the mixture into a non-stick sprayed casserole dish, and dot the top with tangy chevre. This is my nod to the classic bleu cheese and buffalo flavor combo, but uses some of the 52lbs of chevre I bought from Costco a couple weeks ago…
Broil ’til golden brown & bubbly, then let the quinoa mac and cheese sit for at least 5 minutes to thicken up before serving…if you can wait that long!
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Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Mac and Cheese
Description
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Mac and Cheese is a delicious alternative to classic mac and cheese!
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 chicken breast
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt & pepper
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1-1/2 cups 2% milk, divided
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chevre (goat cheese), crumbled
Directions
- Preheat broiler. Cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside. Season chicken breast on both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and cook in a non-stick sprayed skillet over medium heat until cooked all the way through. Chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Whisk together flour and 1/2 cup milk in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Pour in remaining milk, and green onions. Switch to a spatula and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then cook for one minute while boiling.
- Remove the pan from the heat then add in buffalo sauce and cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted then add in cooked quinoa and chicken, and stir to combine.
- Pour into a non-stick sprayed casserole dish and top with chevre. Broil for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbly.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Pure, spicy lusciousness! I actually whispered “uh-oh!” after my first bite because I knew seconds were going to be hard to resist. Which…they were.
I loved how the poppy quinoa and bites of chicken gave the Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Mac and Cheese texture, while the buffalo sauce and chevre gave it such a unique flavor. The photos make the quinoa mac look a little thinner than it actually was, and it also thickens up the longer it sits. This is such a treat!
Meri 03.30.2012
I shared this deliciousness on my blog this morning. LOVE your recipes!!
http://seektobemerry.blogspot.com/2012/03/good-eats.html
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[…] know I’m a sucker for anything with buffalo sauce. The only real change I made to this recipe was that I used parmesan and nutritional yeast instead of cheddar because that’s what I had on […]
Alison 06.25.2012
I’m not a goat cheese fan…what would you recommend instead???
Michelle 10.26.2012
Instead of goat cheese, use bleu cheese, or gorgonzola. They always go well with chicken and hot sauce!
Iowa Girl Eats 10.27.2012
You could use feta, or bleu cheese if you like! We just aren’t big “stinky cheese” fans. :)
Carrie 03.25.2012
Just made this – WOW! Thanks so much!
#marchphotoAday: week 4. | 03.25.2012
[…] got adventurous and made Iowa Girl Eat’s buffalo chicken quinoa mac & cheese. [J] was so nervous, but dinner ended with “you can make this whenever you […]
Emmy 03.21.2012
Just finished eating this for dinner. It’s one of those dishes that are soooooo yummy, you wanna continue eating after your stuffed. Made a side of fresh green beans w/ olive oil & a lil sea salt to go w/ it. The 2 paired up great together. I love quinoa, it’s like eating lil bubbles that pop in your mouth! HA!
TastefullyJulie 03.21.2012
I’m from Buffalo so I’m glad to see you used Frank’s. It is the ONLY wing sauce! ;)
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Rose Ann 03.13.2012
OH MY!!! Just made this and it was delish & filling! I used almond milk, cabot 50% sharp cheddar and changed the topping to blue cheese. This was amazing!!! I also make the Ditalini soup at least every other week, my co-worker is also hooked and had made it every week! Thank you for the great recipes, keep them coming :)
Lauren @ Girls Gone Food 03.12.2012
whoa this looks AMAZING. I am making this as soon as possible.
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[…] also cooked and baked! For dinner I made Iowa Girl Eats’ Buffalo Chicken Quinoa “Mac” and Cheese. Holy crow, this was so good! I will definitely be making it […]
erisgrrrl 03.11.2012
Wow… anything that combines mac n cheese AND buffalo chicken is right up my alley. Add in my beloved quinoa and it’s bound to be a winner!
I have to say though… I keep coming back to 52 pounds of goat cheese! WHA!!?!?!?!?!?
Tricia 03.10.2012
We made this last night for three semi-picky guys and a chick–they were a bit skeeved out about the quiona until they tasted it–no leftovers!!! We did a mix of blue cheese and the cheve…SO GOOD!!! Thanks!
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[…] my obsession with Iowa Girl Eats hasn’t gone away either. She has the best recipes! Her recipe post yesterdayhad me […]
Cindy 03.08.2012
This looks great! I’m going to try it. And great tip about shredding the cheese yourself. My cheese = FONTINA! So sassy. Gotta watch prices, though, some are crazy-expensive compared to others in the same case and I haven’t yet figured out why.
Darcy 03.08.2012
I think I saw IBE today at Legends! I totally wanted to waive, like we were friends, but realized we have never actually met. glad I caught myself!
Kim 03.08.2012
Umm…HOLY ****, this looks amazing!