This Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese is the ultimate comfort food for anyone following a ketogenic lifestyle, offering all the bold, zesty flavors of your favorite wings in a creamy, oven-baked casserole. By swapping traditional pasta for tender cauliflower florets, you get a dish that is remarkably low in carbs while maintaining a rich and decadent texture thanks to a luxurious blend of sharp cheddar, nutty gruyere, and smooth cream cheese. Each bite delivers a perfect balance of spicy heat and savory richness, finished with a golden, bubbly cheese topping that provides a satisfying contrast to the tender chicken and vegetables underneath.
One of the best things about this recipe is how easily it can be adapted to suit your pantry or your personal spice tolerance. While the combination of cheddar and gruyere provides a sophisticated and deep flavor profile, you can easily substitute Monterey Jack for extra meltiness or even sprinkle on some blue cheese crumbles if you want a more authentic buffalo wing experience. If you are short on time, using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken makes the assembly process incredibly fast, and you can always adjust the amount of hot sauce to dial the heat up or down. For those who prefer a bit more crunch, topping the dish with crushed pork rinds before baking adds a fantastic texture that mimics traditional breadcrumbs without the extra carbs.
This casserole is an excellent option for meal prep, as the flavors often deepen and improve after sitting, staying delicious for up to four days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply place a portion in the microwave for a couple of minutes or put it back in a 350-degree oven for about fifteen minutes until the cheese is bubbly and hot again. While you can freeze this dish for up to two months, keep in mind that cauliflower can release a bit of moisture upon thawing. To fix this, simply give the mixture a good stir after reheating and pop it under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp up the top and restore that perfect, creamy consistency.
Yields 8 servings of Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese
The Preparation
- 3 cups cauliflower, florets
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup hot sauce, like Frank’s
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, for garnish
- 2 whole green onion, sliced
The Execution
1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 400F. In a microwave safe bowl, place florets with a small amount of water. Cover with paper towel and microwave until just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove to a colander and drain water well.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry 1 minute. Add hot sauce and stir, then add chicken. Stir to combine well. Add the cream cheese, the gruyere cheese and ¾ of the cheddar cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheeses have melted, about 3 minutes. Turn heat off.
3. Mix cauliflower with chicken/cheese mixture to combine. Pour into an oven safe baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn broiler on and broil for 5 minutes or until cheese begins to turn brown.
4. Sprinkle paprika over top and garnish with green onion slices. Plate and serve. Top with additional hot sauce, if desired.
This makes a total of 8 servings of Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese. Each serving comes out to be 399 calories, 31.2g fats, 2.5g net carbs, and 25.8g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 3 cup cauliflower | 86 | 1.9 | 15.3 | 8.6 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| 2 cup cooked chicken | 594 | 35.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62.1 |
| 2 tablespoon butter | 203 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| 1 tablespoon fresh garlic | 13 | 0 | 2.8 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| 1/4 cup hot sauce | 6 | 0.2 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| 2 cup sharp cheddar cheese | 1005 | 82.9 | 5.2 | 0 | 5.2 | 59.4 |
| 2 cup gruyere cheese | 991 | 77.6 | 0.9 | 0 | 0.9 | 71.5 |
| 3 ounce cream cheese | 291 | 28.9 | 3.5 | 0 | 3.5 | 5.2 |
| 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika | 2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 2 whole green onion | 10 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Totals | 3200 | 249.8 | 31.3 | 9.9 | 21.4 | 206.7 |
| Per Serving (/8) | 400 | 31.2 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 25.8 |
Buffalo Chicken Mac 'n Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cup cauliflower florets
- 2 cup cooked chicken shredded
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- ¼ cup hot sauce like Frank's
- 2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- 3 ounce cream cheese softened
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika for garnish
- 2 whole green onion sliced
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 400F. In a microwave safe bowl, place florets with a small amount of water. Cover with paper towel and microwave until just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove to a colander and drain water well.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry 1 minute. Add hot sauce and stir, then add chicken. Stir to combine well. Add the cream cheese, the gruyere cheese and ¾ of the cheddar cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheeses have melted, about 3 minutes. Turn heat off.
- Mix cauliflower with chicken/cheese mixture to combine. Pour into an oven safe baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn broiler on and broil for 5 minutes or until cheese begins to turn brown.
- Sprinkle paprika over top and garnish with green onion slices. Plate and serve. Top with additional hot sauce, if desired.
