Low cal buffalo chicken mac n cheese

Low cal buffalo chicken mac n cheese.  Yes, you are reading that correctly.  Low cal.  As in ~300 calories per serving.

Here's the secret: very little cheese, sadly. Sigh. The original recipe was more buffalo chicken and macaroni, with barely any cheese, but seriously, this dish is WAY better with just a little bit of cheese.  As the original recipe was less than 200 calories, I figured adding a handful of cheese in would add about 100 calories or so per serving, and it just made the dish come together like whoa.  Trust me.

It is divine.

So if you're looking for something to take a Fourth of July party today, make this. Plenty of veggies, whole wheat pasta, shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and just enough cheese to make this dish a firecracker. ;)

You're welcome.  That's why I taste test for y'all :)

So here's how I made this low call buffalo chicken mac (n cheese):

Start by taking a gorgeous head of cauliflower, half it, and then dice into teeny tiny pieces...
 

...meanwhile, add some butter to a skillet, wait for it to melt, and then add diced onion and celery, cook for two minutes, then add a couple cloves of fresh minced garlic...

...add a healthy dose of cayenne pepper and the diced tomatoes, stir to combine...

 ...then add the flour, stirring constantly for one minute...

...now it's time to add the milk, SLOWLY...

...very slowly! This process will take several minutes as you add a bit, stir to combine, add a bit more, etc... then you add the drained pasta, chicken and buffalo sauce (I love Frank's Red Hot)...

...stir to combine...

...then you add to a 9x13 baking dish and finally top it off with cauliflower, blue cheese, and shredded cheese, then pop into a preheated oven at 375 for 15 minutes or so until it gets all bubbly and the cheese is melted...

...now start chopping some green onions...

...so that you can top your beautiful casserole when it comes out of the oven...

...before plating a gorgeous plate and digging in :)...

Pro tip:  Don't touch the wire rack in the oven when you're taking the casserole dish out.  It will result in a burn :(

But that's OK, because I immediately soothed myself with a nice cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc, which also helped the fire in my mouth as this was spicy, but in a really good way.  Perfect addition to any party!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Here's the full recipe:

Low cal buffalo chicken mac n cheese
Recipe slightly modified from Chef Meg's recipe 

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pasta shells
1 cup finely chopped cauliflower
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery (about 1 cup), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced 
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup diced roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
2 cups skim milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 ounces shredded, cooked chicken breast 
3-4 tablespoons buffalo sauce
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1-2 cups shredded Mexican blend, shredded white cheddar or extra sharp cheddar
Sliced green onions, for garnish 

Directions:
1. Start prepping: Cook the chicken breast, then shred and set aside. Chop the cauliflower, transfer to a bowl with a little bit of water.  Dice roma tomatoes. Mince garlic. Chop celery.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

3. Cook pasta according to directions. 
4. Cook the cauliflower in the microwave for 2 minutes.
5. Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add onion and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Add garlic, cook for one more minute. 
7. Add cayenne pepper and diced tomatoes, stir to combine.
8. Add whole wheat flour, stir to combine.
9. Stirring constantly, SLOWLY pour the milk in to the pan.
10. Add drained pasta, shredded chicken, and buffalo sauce, and stir to combine.
11. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish, then top with cauliflower, blue cheese and shredded cheese
12. Place dish into preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes, until bubbly and cheese has melted.
13. Top with chopped with green onions
14. Plate, and inhale.