In my pursuit to lose weight, there have been a few things I’ve had to put aside in exchange for deliciously natural foods. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t crave delicious foods (like while writing this blog about a recipe, I really want some ice cream, a bad previous-life nighttime habit). One of my favorite homemade recipes was my buffalo mac n’ cheese. Even with using whole wheat pasta, I couldn’t bring myself to sacrifice those precious calories. So, enter my brilliant idea … Buffalo Chicken Couscous and Cheese
Last weekend, we took a trip to Brookville and had a chance to do some bulk shopping. When I saw couscous for just a ‘lil over $1 for just a ‘lil over a pound, I pounced. I can’t buy bulk couscous at my local grocery store, and I don’t always get to go out to the store that I can buy it, so I chose to snag a bag while on this trip. Without a plan for it, I let it sit on my brain for a few days before I got to thinking I could substitute the couscous for the macaroni! And just like that, I was craving my old favorite.
With no chicken in the house, I picked up a rotisserie chicken. This is my favorite because it’s already cooked, and Greg always pulls it for me. Win, win…I don’t have to mess with raw chicken OR bones, and we usually get 2-3 meals out of one chicken.
Buffalo Chicken Couscous and Cheese
Into the pan went half the chicken, with about 3/4 c buffalo sauce (we love it spicy) like this one, Sweet Baby Ray’s –affiliate link). Once it was nice and buffalo’ed, in went a cup of couscous to brown and then a cup of water to “make it rise”. Once everything looked good and mixed, I tossed in 3/4 cup cheddar. I let this bake in a casserole dish for about 20 minutes on 425 and called it dinner. Don’t ask me the serving size or calories, all I knew was it was 100 times healthier than my other version, and just as tasty.
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Ingredients
1/2 of a Rotisserie Chicken (cooked and shredded)
3/4 c. Buffalo Sauce (like this one, Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1 c. uncooked couscous (yields about 3 c. cooked)
1 c. water
3/4 cup cheddar
Steps
Saute the chicken in the buffalo sauce. Cook the couscous (see package instructions – though I highly suggest doing it in a sauce pan (this one, available on Amazon, will revolutionize your kitchen – with pour spots, a straining cover and a stay cool handle). Add to the chicken in a casserole dish (our go to is a Pyrex one with a lid for the leftovers, then add the cheese. Bake in a 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!
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Disclaimer: Posts on my blog may contain affiliate links. This helps me bring a few extra groceries into the house. 🙂