Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Casserole
Try this Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups water
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 cup quinoa picked and rinsed well (or use pre-cooked, microwavable pouches)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
- 1 bouillon cube chicken or vegitable
- 1-3 stalks celery
- 6-8 tablespoons hot sauce i use frank's red hot
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- Carbohydrate 21.936474187781 g
- Cholesterol 152.338625 mg
- Fat 9.48000173924327 g
- Fiber 2.63001360817185 g
- Protein 64.3404984783111 g
- Saturated Fat 4.02314301767158 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (368g)
- Sodium 374.462953911058 mg
- Sugar 19.3064605796091 g
- Trans Fat 1.17373302556076 g
- Calories 444 calories
Step-by-step
- Quinoa Prep: (Skip is using pre-packaged microwaveable pouches)
- Heat a splash of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate.
- Add 2 cups of water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a rolling boil, lower to a simmer (turn heat down to the lowest setting), cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered.
- Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork (you should see tiny spirals separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds.) Set aside.
- Chicken Prep:
- In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, place chicken breasts, celery stalk cut into big pieces, parsley, and cover with water. Add bouillon, bring to a boil, lower to simmer, and cook covered for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken, let cool, and shred with a fork. Set aside.
- Sauce Prep:
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Give a good stir, lower the heat, and let simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Put it all together:
- In a dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, toss and toast quinoa with cayenne pepper, sweet paprika, and garlic powder for 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 8x8 baking dish (or a large cast iron skillet).
- In a large bowl combine toasted quinoa, tomato mixture, shredded chicken, hot sauce, and half of the cheese.
- Transfer quinoa mixture to the baking dish (or cast iron skillet) and top with remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for further 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve!
How do you prevent quinoa from turning into a gummy paste when combining heavy hot sauce and tomato bases?
- Toast the dry grains thoroughly in a skillet for two minutes until aromatic; this par-cooking step creates a sturdy protective barrier around each seed so they retain their distinct spiral texture instead of bursting open and clumping.
- Rinse the raw seeds through a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water for a full minute to strip away natural bitter saponins before cooking.
- Simmer the chicken breasts gently at a low bubble for twenty minutes rather than a violent boil, which tightens muscle fibers and creates a dry, stringy texture that resists shredding.
- Bake the casserole covered in foil at 375°F for the first twenty minutes to trap interior moisture, then remove the cover for the final ten minutes to allow the mozzarella and blue cheese toppings to brown properly without scorching the grain base.
- Utilize an eight-by-eight baking dish or a heavy cast-iron skillet interchangeably depending on stovetop-to-oven workflow availability.
Proper moisture control remains the primary factor determining success with grain-forward bakes. Managing liquid reduction during the tomato simmering phase ensures the final dish holds its shape when served.
