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!
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Trisha 02.19.2015
IGE saves the day again! I made buffalo tofu “wings” last night (chicken weirds me out while pregnant) and was looking for a way to use up the rest without going to the store. No pasta in the house (the horror!) led me to a Google search for cheesy buffalo quinoa and wouldn’t you know this was the first hit! I think my favorite part is the use of goat cheese in lieu of bleu. No need to modify like I normally do any buffalo concoction with the stinky bleu stuff!
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Kara 08.19.2013
I added some chopped Broccoli to this, amazing! Tastes so yummy!
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Christine 03.11.2013
I am currently sitting in my kitchen, just made this for the first time, and writing this comment to slow myself down so I don’t shovel it all in my mouth at once. The combination of flavors is absolutely amazing!
I added some peas, chopped up broccoli, and spinach just to add some color and veggies and it turned out great.
Thank you for another DELICIOUSLY AMAZING recipe!
April 03.05.2013
Kristin:
I have made so many of your recipes!!! I am finally commenting and feel its long overdue!! Here are just a few: I have made the mini BBQ meatloaves several times and just made them for in-laws and they were a hit!! I have made this quinoa dish quite a few times and my husband and I love it!! I love your blog for so many reasons: I am originally from western Iowa (live in Nashville now but IA will always be my heart), I am a newlywed (so these recipes for two-four servings are perfect), I have completed 3 half marathons and try to do a 5k every month with my best friend! I love your treadmill routines! Thank you for your blog and thank you for Friday Favorites!! Keep up the great work!
April Corban
Iowa Girl Eats 03.05.2013
Thank you so much for the sweet note, April! I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes and treadmill routines (btw, how fun that you and your friend run 5ks together!) Thanks again! :)
Rachael 03.04.2013
OMG- so good! I stumbled upon your blog and I am HOOKED! I’m an Iowa Girl too- born and raised in Iowa City, UofI grad, but living in southern California (where people can’t find Iowa on the map to save their lives!!!). I absolutely LOVE your blog and this recipe was AWESOME! Thanks for what you do! :)
Michelle 02.11.2013
When I made this, I thought it was a little lacking in flavor. I had used leftovers from the whole chicken I made in the crock pot the day before, so maybe the chicken was missing flavor. But I decided to try making this with Jennie-O hot turkey sausage. I took off the casings and ground it up while browning it, and made the rest of the dish as the recipe stated. It was AMAZING! Very yummy. I also use chicken broth to make the quinoa, low fat cheese, and 1% milk to cut down on calories. It makes a great (every so often) dinner. Thanks so much!
Michelle 02.11.2013
Actually, I forgot to mention I used bleu cheese instead of chevre. It’s my favorite mixture with hot sauce, and my husband loves it, too!
Debra 02.06.2013
Amazeballs!! My first time ever with quinoa and this recipe has me hooked! Fantastic job! Personally i love celery in my buffalo recipes and i would either add to this or, use as a cracker for dipping in this. Again love! Thanks!
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Lizzie 01.09.2013
I tried this a few weeks ago-the flavor is amazing! I think we chopped our chicken too small as the texture because a little bit one note, so I’ll definitely leave the chicken in more bite sized pieces next time. I think this would be great with some peppers or other veggies in it for even more texture! So good!
Jennifer 11.30.2012
I LOVE this recipe! I used 2 chicken breasts instead of one only b/c the package I bought had 2 in it and I didn’t want to deal with freezing the other one. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly (although I think I accidentally bought a hotter version of the Frank’s sauce than the one you showed…oops!). The dish is SO creamy and tasty and reheats fabulously. I love the use of goat cheese and scallions…two things that I especially love! I want to eat this every day but in the interest of staying able to fit into my pants I will not…