Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower Bake

Healthy Weeknight Meals

I’m always looking for healthy dinner ideas to add into the usual weeknight lineup. This Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower Bake is a great  option. It’s loaded with flavor and full of vegetables. Sneaking more vegetables into all of my meals is definitely how I roll. This is one way to make a healthy lifestyle much more attainable.

Why Cauliflower?

Cauliflower is always a great choice because it doesn’t have a ton of flavor on its own. So it can take on the flavor of pretty much anything you want. You can bake it, steam it, or mash it for any recipe. It always turns out delicious.

It’s also made up of over 90% water. This makes it filling but doesn’t leave you with that after-meal heaviness you can get with some white breads, pasta, or potatoes. A great low carb option for any diet.

Caulifower is also high in Vitamin C and K, can help improve digestion, helps fight inflammation, balances hormones and can help decrease the risk of heart disease. At only 25 calories a cup, I would say it’s a great choice that’s loaded with healthy benefits. For more info, check out this article by Dr.Axe HERE.

A lot of people do a cauliflower mash instead of regular mashed potatoes or do a cauliflower pizza crust instead of regular pizza crust. Another reason to love it! It’s a really versatile vegetable.

I’ve found the more vegetables I try and add into every meal, the better I feel overall. I don’t focus so much on a particular diet. I try and eat a lot of anti-inflammatory foods, lots of veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats, and drink plenty of water.

This allows me to have the occasional amounts of cheese, butter, or chocolate. All of which make any recipe even better in my opinion. I never overdo it, but this type of balance is key for me to not feel deprived. A healthy lifestyle is much more manageable and easier to stick to.

Buffalo Sauce

My Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower Bake is perfect for a quick weeknight meal and makes delicious leftovers too. I used chicken breast in this recipe, but feel free to swap any protein you like.

Buffalo chicken is usually a crowd pleaser and is always so delicious. Give spicy food a try because it’s full of flavor, as long as you can handle the heat.

My favorite sauce is the Original Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce. There’s nothing like it. It’s a little milder on the spicy scale but has so much flavor. I also like the fact that it doesn’t have a lot of ingredients. It’s made up of vinegar, aged cayenne red peppers, salt, water, canola oil, paprika, butter and garlic.

When shopping for sauces, my top priority is something with minimal ingredients. I also make sure it has ingredients that I can pronounce. If you stick to these rules you can be confident that you are buying a good product that will also be a “healthier” choice. Of course, also being aware of calories and fat etc.

Say Yes To Cheese!

This Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower Bake is really good by itself for a low-carb option, or can easily be paired with brown rice, quinoa, or just some delicious bread. Depends on your diet preferences. We personally love eating this with brown rice and a little sliced avocado on the side. YUM!!!

I usually top this recipe with a mild cheese like mozzarella. I love that it melts well and doesn’t overwhelm the buffalo flavors. You could also top it with a sharp white cheddar or more mild monterey jack cheese. Both of these options also melt well.

A balanced diet consists of allowing yourself to have some of the things you enjoy that may not be on the top of your healthy list. Cheese is one of those things for me. But I allow myself to have it on occasion and this way I don’t ever feel deprived. You do you.

Recipe Tips:

-Easily cut cauliflower into florets by turning it upside down and cut in a circle around the stem area with a chef knife. Don’t cut all the way through the head. You should be able to use your knife to then “pop off” sections of the cauliflower. This makes it less mess and much easier to cut into florets.

-Boil Cauliflower until just barely fork tender. Do not overcook in this step or your cauliflower with be too mushy. It will finish cooking in the oven.

-Add 1/2 cup buffalo sauce at a time when tossing with cauliflower and chicken in a bowl. This helps to more evenly coat them both with sauce.

-Buy 1 whole fresh mozzarella ball and slice your own thin pieces. It’s much fresher this way and helps you omit those anti-caking agents that can be found in a lot of pre-shredded/sliced cheeses.

-I recommend serving this dish with brown rice or quinoa, sliced avocado, and some ranch on the side. These flavors pair really well with buffalo sauce.

Buffalo Chicken & Cauliflower Bake

I really hope you enjoy this Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower Bake as much as we do. If you make it, be sure to tag me on social media @motivate.educate.repeat on Instagram or use the hashtag #MotivateEducateRepeat. I’d love to see what you come up with. 🙂

Stay up to date on all my health and wellness tips and new recipes by following me on my Instagram page HERE.

If you’re looking for another healthy weeknight dinner option, check out my Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Squash. Another great low-carb option. Check out the recipe HERE.