By Tracey
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Mac and Cheese
adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
(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.)
Ingredients:
- 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
Directions:
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.
