Remember when I didn’t eat cheese for 6 months?
Hah.
Sorry, former vegan self. Sorry but I’m not sorry. I ate a lot of cheese this weekend, and it tasted reeeeally good.
I’ve actually been craving this dish for a few weeks, since a co-worker brought in some buffalo chicken casserole for lunch. As she warmed up her leftovers in the microwave and the smell wafted through the kitchen, it was alllll I wanted.
I had brought a salad.
Major food envy.
I knew I had to recreate it for you guys ASAP. My one hesitation to go out of town last weekend was that I’d have to wait an extra week to bring this dish to life! Such hardships :) Luckily, that gave me an extra week to fantasize and brainstorm… making the end result positively perfect.
Nate agrees. That’s him going back for seconds.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call this dish healthy, but it is vegetarian – come on, aren’t those synonymous?! It’s loaded with veggies, replacing 1/2 the pasta and all of the chicken that would be used in a regular buffalo chicken casserole. It’s just cheesy enough to be indulgent, but still loaded with nutrients.
It’s like a cross between buffalo chicken, mac and cheese, and veggie pasta dish. Also known as…the tastiest thing ever. For real. I don’t think I have to try too hard to convince you on this one.
Guess who’s going to have the jealousy-inducing leftovers for lunch this week?!
Boyfriend-Approved Buffalo Veggie Pasta Bake
Serves 6
Ingredients:
For pasta:
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
sprinkle of ground black pepper
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 lb Brussels sprouts, sliced (about 5 cups sliced)
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk (or other unsweetened milk of your choice)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided (4-5 oz.)
1/2 cup hot sauce such as Frank’s RedHot
To top:
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
additional hot sauce
1 recipe lightened up blue cheese dressing
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Cook pasta in a large pot until slightly al dente. Drain and return to pot. Set aside.
Next, saute your vegetables. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add garlic, onion, and carrots, season with ground pepper, and saute until soft, 9-10 minutes. (The carrots will not soften up much in the oven, so you want to get them to your desired softness on the stovetop.) Add the mushrooms and saute 3 minutes more, then add the Brussels sprouts and saute another 2 minutes. Pour vegetables into the pot with the pasta and scrape pan clean.
Now prepare the roux. In the same pan, melt the butter. Stir in flour and let bubble 1-2 minutes. Stir in the milk. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese and stir to melt. Stir in hot sauce. Pour the mixture over the pasta and vegetables and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling. (If cheese starts to burn before 25 minutes, cover the top of the dish with tin foil and continue baking.)
Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions. Serve in scoops, topped with additional hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.
Enjoy!
Time:
1 hour
I had to do a double take because I swore this had meat in it! And then I re-read it to make sure I was reading it right: it doesn’t have any meat in it! GENIUS! I gotta try this! :)
Totally vegetarian!
Tried this recipe. It was AWFUL!! I like brussel sprouts but they were totally weird in this recipe. Had an awful stringy consistency. No one liked it in my family and after we all tried to eat some of eat I threw the rest out. What a waste.
i have to laugh at your title boyfriend approved…my hubby loves buffalo flavor…so i am sure he will be approving of this one too!
Yummmm buffalo sauce! Double yum for cheese! And I always love veggies. This is SO going on the meal plan for next week :)
Yay, let me know how you like it!
I have been waiting for this post ever since you posted a photo on Facebook yesterday! Holy goodness – I love anything buffalo with cheese. And let’s talk about you going without cheese for SIX MONTHS…. WHAT??!? How did you survive? ;)
Yum, buffalo flavor is one of my favorites. I have to admit that cheese is one thing I do miss once in a while. Then I remember how I feel when I accidentally have dairy and I don’t miss cheese anymore. This looks really tasty though!
I totally almost licked my computer screen. This has me drooling lady!
Looks crazy good!!! So cheesy. I like the green onions sprinkled on a top. If only I could grab that fork…:)
This looks so good, I love Frank’s but never thought about pairing it with pasta! Yum!
You’ve gotta do it! It’s a good combo :)
This looks so yummy! Your pictures are great too, good job! :)
I just showed this recipe to my husband. It’s on!!!!
Yesssss!
WOW… this looks amazing. I’m always looking for at least somewhat healthy comfort food the hubby will like… thanks for sharing!
Hey there! I found you on Pinterest and my husband and I loved this dish! I made my own hot sauce and a few other tweaks, but thanks so much for this idea! I’ve linked you for the original recipe. I would love for you to check it out! http://athomeorganic.com/2014/03/02/buffalo-veggie-pasta-bake/
I had this pinned for ages and today I finally decided to try it. It was SO delicious, like heaven on a plate. Definitely making this again. Maybe one negative: this will NOT serve 6 haha! Since everyone will be having seconds!!
Thanks for you comment Donna – totally made my day! Glad you enjoyed it :)
I’m the world’s worst vegetarian and don’t like mushrooms. What would you suggest to replace them? I can’t wait to try this (stomach is already growling)