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!
Tara 11.15.2012
One of my all-time favorites of your recipes…I’m whipping up a triple batch for a party tomorrow and know that it will be a huge hit! (Also, this was the recipe that made me fall in love with quinoa :)
Beth 11.11.2012
Just made this for dinner, it was awesome! I used 2 chicken breasts instead of 1, and used Frank’s “hot buffalo” sauce instead of the regular buffalo sauce. Yours looks prettier than mine, I’m guessing because my cheese was white so the color of mine is more brown than orange, lol. Just wanted to say thanks for a great recipe!
Deidra 11.04.2012
Any idea of calorie information? Sounds delish!
Albert 10.01.2012
Just made this for myself and my wife. Excellent dish! I wish I would have used a little more chicken and shredded it rather than cubing it.
Tasted great, though.
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I just moved into my first apartment and I found your food blog today and tried this recipe tonight… amazing!! looking forward to cooking with you more in the future. I have already bookmarked your page. Healthy eating made delicious!
Dawn 06.26.2012
Hi Kristin, I made this last night, my 2nd time making quinoa and this was sooooo delicious!! Thank you for such an awesome recipe! My boyfriend was skeptical, he helped me make it, but he loved it too! Quinoa is filling so we have a bunch left over, do you know if this is okay to freeze? I hate wasting and love freezing ;) By the way I am new to reading blogs but I just love yours! Keep up the awesome recipes, I’m trying the Mango BBQ Chicken salad tomorrow night.
Iowa Girl Eats 06.28.2012
So glad you enjoyed! Hmmm…I would *think* this would freeze just fine, but I’m not 100% sure since I didn’t try. Let me know if you do, and how it works out!
Dawn 06.28.2012
Ok, my boyfriend wanted to eat it again so we never ended up freezing it! LOL I also was excited to see you in Fitness magazine this morning!! Congratulations! I’m new to the blogging world (reading and I’ve started to create my own). You are so inspirational and such a fun person to follow!
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Stephanie 04.28.2012
I’m making this tonight, it looks amazing! Do you think it would work out alright to cook the cheese sauce with fat-free milk, or would the sauce not set up well enough?
Its what I have in the fridge and I’m trying to keep my calories down as I’m in the middle of weight loss right now…this is PERFECT for a “cheat” dinner! Looks super tasty!
Iowa Girl Eats 04.28.2012
I think it should work!
Lauren O'Connor 04.20.2012
Oh what a kick! And with quinoa, yay! Has my tastebuds “popping”. : )
elizabeth rosemond 04.13.2012
Question – I tend to use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (vs. the buffalo wing sauce). How do you think this would work instead? I’m thinking I would definitely have to use less!
Iowa Girl Eats 04.16.2012
I would stick with the buffalo wing sauce!
Paige 08.17.2012
I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce tonight (not the Buffalo sauce). It’s still delicious! Also used almond milk and low-fat cheese. Didn’t have chevre, so topped with Panko (not gluten-free) so there’s a nice crust :)
Linda Hennessy 04.13.2012
I so think this or one of your other quinoa recipes needs to be entered in Trader Joe’s contest:
Good Luck :)
Iowa Girl Eats 04.16.2012
Sweet! I will enter! Thanks for passing this on, Linda! :)
Shana Jones 04.10.2012
Wow!! I tried this tonight and it is soooo yummy!!
Benjamin 04.01.2012
I made this last night and it was even better left over today! I added more buffalo sauce and a container of plain Greek yogurt in order to use less cheese, and it turned out well.
Brandon 04.01.2012
O yea use almond Milk!
Brandon 04.01.2012
It would be healthier if you added whole wheat flour and Low fat cheese and that Buffalo sauce probably contains a lot of salt but I guess it won’t hurt :)
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