I had this recipe on my to-do list for over 6 months before I finally got around to trying it. I was still iffy (to put it mildly) on quinoa when I bookmarked it, but I figured if ever there was a surefire way to fall in love with this little superfood, combining it with buffalo sauce, chicken and a luscious cheese sauce must be it!
The plan was to make it for myself one night when Shane wasn’t around for dinner, but let’s be honest – it’s actually pretty rare that we don’t eat dinner together, and when it does happen, I usually don’t bother cooking. I’m much more likely to pop some popcorn, throw it in a bowl and spend the night on the couch catching up on episodes of Revenge ๐
A few weeks ago I was digging through my bookmarks working on our meal plan, and re-discovered this dish. I casually mentioned it to Shane as a possible dinner idea without any real expectation that he’d be on board, but much to my surprise, he said he’d be open to it. I added it to the menu right then and there, before he could change his mind. There was a moment right after I pulled these bubbling dishes from the oven where it looked like he was having second thoughts but he later told me the orange color just made him nervous I’d tried to sneak some butternut squash in…
I’ll cut to the chase – if you’re looking for a way to introduce quinoa to your family, this is it. Shane not only ate it, but he went back for seconds! And when asked if he’d want me to make it again (the real test of how much he enjoyed a recipe) he said yes. I was thrilled since I really liked it too, which wasn’t necessarily a given since I’m still not completely sold on quinoa. One of my favorite things about this dish is that while it’s most definitely comfort food, the quinoa is packed full of nutrients so you can feel less guilty about enjoying it!
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Mac and Cheese
adapted from Iowa Girl Eats (via What Happens After Singleton)
{Note: shred your own cheese, the prepackaged stuff just isn’t the same. As written, this recipe isn’t super spicy, so you’ll want to adjust accordingly if you like a lot of heat.}
1 1/4 cups quinoa
1 cup cubed chicken (about 1 medium chicken breast)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a small casserole dish (or 3-4 individual serving dishes) with nonstick cooking spray.
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly (if you don’t, it’ll be bitter!) then cook according to the package directions. I like to cook mine in chicken stock for more flavor, but water is fine too.
Meanwhile, add the butter to a medium saucepan and set over low heat. Let the butter melt, then add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add the milk to the pan, continuing to whisk so you don’t wind up with lumps. Increase the heat to medium, and cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens.
Remove the pan from the heat then add the cheddar cheese and buffalo sauce. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the cooked quinoa and chicken and stir until incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to the baking dish (or dishes, if you’re using individual ones). Top with the crumbled blue cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles around the edges of the dish. Garnish with green parts of scallions before serving.
Droolworthy! A creative and delicious way to use quinoa. Love it.
I just posted a comment on another site expressing my pleasure to see quinoa, bulgar, and other grains showing up more often. Bravo to all.
Just posted as anonymous by mistake. It’s me, StephenC.
I’ve been wanting to make a quinoa mac & cheese! This looks fantastic!
This looks amazing! I have tried other quinoa mac n cheese recipes but they never look as creamy as this one does. Can’t wait to try it!
Holy cow, Tracey! You know that I am all over this one. In fact, I think I am rearranging my meal plan for the week RIGHT now to make this ASAP. Love it! And I’m glad that you tried quinoa and liked it in this!
I made this a few months ago and I loved it (next time I might skimp on the bleu cheese, though). Please excuse me while I go to the grocery store and pick up more chicken to make it again very soon!
the ‘should i make this again?’ question always gets to the heart of the matter ๐
This looks so delicious and wholesome! Wonderful recipe!
These pictures just made me so hungry! I love mac n cheese…never thought of making it with quinoa
Oh, wow! You did it again. I swear every time I come to your blog i end up hungry! Can’t wait to try this chicken quinoa mac and cheese myself! Just hope It will look like yours!
Thanks!
What a great idea! I am always looking for new ways to use quinoa, and wouldn’t have come up with this. Plus buffalo everything is good!
I’m still not sold on quinoa either but this looks amazing! And I love those little dishes!
I love quinoa! This recipe looks very delicious.
Amazing! This is incredibly unique and innovative! And being the quinoa lover that I am, this dish is just screaming my name!
This looks delicious! I don’t love quinoa as much as I think I should, but this looks like a good way to eat it.
I saw your comment on my blog – good luck to Shane on his marathon!
I am assuming that the bulb part of the scallion was supposed to be sauteed in the butter before adding the flour. That is what I am doing. I can tell we are going to love this already!
@Handful – I didn’t actually use the white part/light green part of the scallion (probably could’ve been more specific about that in the directions), but I like your idea! Hope you enjoy!
I’ve had a bag of red quinoa stashed in the cupboard for awhile, and this recipe called out to me to use it! Made it for dinner last night, went down really well with both Hubby and me. I only used 1/2cup of quinoa, and swapped out the American cheddar for UK low fat cheddar, and changed the wing sauce to a 1/3 cup of sweet chilli sauce (hard to get buffalo sauce in Singapore). Added some left over red onion from the previous night, and topped the dish off with some panko and parmesan. I also gave the chicken a quick roast in the oven with lashings of cracked pepper. Will defo be making this again, maybe add some more veggies and make it a quinoa bake! Thanks for a great recipe! ๐
This dish was a tasty dinner in my book, I’d certainly be OK with having it again!
I’ve had this sack of quinoa sitting in my pantry just waiting for something to inspire me and this recipe did the trick. I made this recipe tonight! My first time to try quinoa and it was delicious. I’m hooked and will be trying it in other recipes. THANK YOU so very much for the inspiration. Keep up the awesome work you do. Look forward to many more wonderful recipes and your stories.
I just made this recipe tonight for my husband, who is not a fan of quinoa or anything “healthy,” and he loved it!! He even went back for seconds and now we hardly have any leftovers! Thanks so much for sharing.
I made this tonight and it was amazing! My boyfriend and I had never had Quinoa before and this dish was a great introduction! Perfect for the rainy chilly evening that it is! Thank you so much for sharing this. I know this will be a new favorite!