Buffalo Cauliflower Mac And Cheese Recipe
This healthy buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese is made with cauliflower and chicken, and it's a healthy weeknight meal! This spicy cauliflower mac and cheese with chicken can be made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stove top.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 306kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Crockpot
- Sealing Rings
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dill dried
- ½ tsp parsley dried
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces
- ¾ cup hot sauce Frank's ORIGINAL, not Buffalo
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt plain, 2%
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp brown rice flour or whole wheat flour
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sauté until the chicken is browned. 1 tsp olive oil, 1 lb chicken breast
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dill, and parsley to the pot. Mix up the chicken so that the seasoning is evenly distributed. 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp dill, 1/2 tsp parsley
- Add the cauliflower to the Instant Pot and cover with the hot sauce. The hot sauce acts as your liquid for this recipe. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. 1 head cauliflower, 3/4 cup hot sauce
- Cook the chicken and cauliflower on high pressure using the manual setting for 1 minute. Let the pressure release naturally for 3-5 minutes before manually releasing it. *See recipe tips section if you're nervous about overcooking the cauliflower.
- In a high speed blender, mix together the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to create a creamy sauce. I know it's difficult for some to trust the Greek yogurt/cottage cheese blend–trust me. The blending will remove the chunks from the cottage cheese and take that tangy taste out of the yogurt. 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- Blend the sauce until smooth, then pour the sauce over the chicken and cauliflower. Add the cheese and brown rice flour. Carefully fold the sauce and cheese in so that the cauliflower holds its shape. 1 cup cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp brown rice flour
- Garnish and serve while still warm, or pack up for lunch throughout the week.
- Note: For this buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese to work you must cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces and brown the chicken. If you skip this step the chicken will not have enough time to cook. Plus, it keeps the chicken from cooking in a solid lump.
Stove Top Instructions
- Heat a large skillet on the stove and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the chicken until it is browned. 1 tsp olive oil, 1 lb chicken breast
- Add the seasonings, hot sauce, and cauliflower to the skillet. Mix it up so the cauliflower is covered in hot sauce. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium low heat. 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp dill, 1/2 tsp parsley, 3/4 cup hot sauce , 1 head cauliflower
- Allow the cauliflower and chicken to cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is tender.
- Blend together the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to make a cream sauce. Remove the cauliflower and chicken from the heat when it's cooked. 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- Stir the sauce, cheddar cheese, and brown rice flour into the skillet until the cheese melts. Garnish and serve. 1 cup cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp brown rice flour
Slow Cooker Instructions
- * Do not cube the chicken before cooking in the slow cooker.
- Add the whole chicken breast, cauliflower, seasoning, and hot sauce to the slower cooker. 1 lb chicken breast , 1 head cauliflower, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp dill, 1/2 tsp parsley, 3/4 cup hot sauce
- Cover and let cook for 2 1/2 to 4 hours on low heat or until the chicken is done.
- Remove the chicken, chop it into cubes, then add it back into the slow cooker.
- Blend together the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to make a cream sauce. Add the cream sauce, cheddar cheese, and brown rice flour to the chicken and cauliflower and mix until the cheese is melted. Garnish and serve. 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Optional garnish and toppings: diced green onion, breadcrumb topping, cayenne pepper sauce (like Frank's original sauce – not Frank's buffalo sauce, as it contains a ton of processed ingredients), blue cheese crumbles.
- If you're nervous about overcooking the cauliflower, manually release the pot after 2 minutes. If the cauliflower isn't cooked yet, close the pot back up and allow it to sit for a couple more minutes before checking it again.
- If adding a breadcrumb topping, I highly recommend adding the recipe to a baking dish and putting it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it all up.
- Container Counts for the entire recipe: 6 red containers, 4 green containers, 1tsp (it's so little that I don't add this to my final counts), 4 blue containers, 2 tablespoons brown rice flour. The brown rice flour is not on the food list, but based on the ingredients and nutrition information, counts as 1 yellow container for 1/4 cup. 2 tablespoons equals 1/2 yellow container. Over four servings, I think this is so little that I don't count it.
- Container counts per serving: 1 1/2 red containers, 1 green container, 1 blue container.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1918mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 137IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 1mg