1½ cups cauliflower “rice” (aka very finely chopped cauliflower florets)
½ medium yellow onion (minced)
½ cup finely chopped carrots
½ cup finely chopped celery
2 cups diced or shredded chicken breast
½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (plus extra for serving)
¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup grated provolone cheese (Gouda is also great!)
¼ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
3 scallions (thinly sliced (optional))
For the Yogurt Ranch:
1½ cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon dried parsley (crushed (Just use your fingers to crush the flakes.))
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Categories
Recipes
The Dude Diet
Uncategorized
Cuisine
American
Steps
Combine the quinoa and chicken broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover the saucepan with a lid, and cook for 14 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, whip up the yogurt ranch! In a medium bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the ranch. Briefly set that deliciousness aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or shallow Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the cauliflower, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the cooked quinoa, chicken, and Frank’s to the pan and fold everything together. Turn off the heat and fold in 1 cup of the yogurt ranch and half of the cheddar and provolone. Taste the filling. Add a little extra Frank’s if you deem it necessary.
Smooth the top of the filling with a spatula. Add the remaining cheese in an even layer and sprinkle with the panko.
Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. If you want to brown the top of the bake (I DO!!), pop the casserole under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until the bread crumbs turn golden brown.
Whisk a tablespoon or so of water into the remaining yogurt ranch just until it has a drizzle-able consistency. Serve the quinoa bake drizzled with as much extra ranch and Frank’s as you like and garnish with scallions.
Reviews
zidane on 2026-01-31 (5 stars): Crispy chicken coated in bold, tangy buffalo sauce with the perfect kick of heat
LLR on 2022-03-23 (5 stars): The best quinoa bake!
Kristen on 2022-03-22 (5 stars): Obsessed with this!!!! Love love love it! It was the first homemade meal we managed to make after I had a baby and it tasted like home and kept us fed for a few days!
Jane on 2022-01-11 (5 stars): This was incredible. My husband and I are both picky eaters and have loved many of your recipes. This is by far our favorite. Don’t know how you do it— we’ll be making this over and over again!
Amanda T on 2021-04-08 (5 stars): This is a regular part of our weeknight dinner rotation. Literally a dream for buffalo chicken lovers. Easy to adjust the heat and the greek yogurt ranch is really good. Keeps great for leftovers!
Steve on 2021-03-24 (5 stars): Love the quinoa bakes and this one is at the top of the list! Possibly even better reheated the next day.
EKS on 2021-03-23 (5 stars): This is what buff chick dreams are made of. It's like eating a healthier buffalo chicken dip but with added veggies! I actually forgot to get quinoa at the store once and made it with only the cauliflower rice and it was still super yummy. Store-bought rotisserie chicken and already chopped up mirepoix (onion, celery, carrots) from the grocery store makes this an even easier/quicker recipe for a tasty weeknight meal!
Molly on 2021-03-22 (5 stars): Love. This. And great from the freezer too!
Avery on 2020-11-19 (5 stars): This was amazing!! So flavorful and makes great leftovers. I doubled the veg and upped the Buffalo sauce to compensate and it was so tasty.
ashok on 2020-11-07 (5 stars): Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
