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It’s hard to beat this One Pot Buffalo Chicken “Helper”. Think spicy buffalo chicken meets cozy weeknight casserole. It’s made entirely in one pot and comes together in less than an hour. Made with chicken, spices, buffalo sauce, short-cut pasta, herbs, and plenty of broccoli. Cook everything together in a big skillet, add cheese, and finish this off in the oven. Simple, but so delicious. This is the perfect weeknight casserole that’s fun for game night too.

One Pot Buffalo Chicken Helper | halfbakedharvest.com

OK, so this casserole or hamburger “helper” style dinner is very different, but so delicious. This time of year I really love to incorporate cozier, more homestyle family dishes. It’s the beginning of fall, back-to-school season, and football just kicked off a new season. There are many nights of staying in ahead!

Creighton, my oldest brother, loves a hamburger helper-style dinner situation. I recreated the store-bought favorite a couple of years ago. He now asks me to make that dish on a regular basis. It’s one of his favorites.

One Pot Buffalo Chicken Helper | halfbakedharvest.com

With that in mind, I wanted to share a new spin on this old-school retro recipe.

As mentioned, it’s football season, and another favorite family dinner is buffalo chicken. Therefore, I thought it could be delicious to bring the two recipes together.

I wanted to add a vegetable to this version so I threw in some broccoli. I also added cheese on top and baked the whole dish in the oven until it was nice and melty. It then became more casserole-like.

It’s different, fun, easy to create, and a meal that everyone really does enjoy!

One Pot Buffalo Chicken Helper | halfbakedharvest.com

Details for you

Step 1: find the right size pan

First of all, find yourself a nice big pot or braiser to cook this in. I love this one and think it’s the perfect size for this recipe.

Don’t use anything too small or it’s just going to be a mess.

One Pot Buffalo Chicken Helper | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 2: cook the chicken

Now, start cooking! Simply add the onion and chicken to your pot and brown it all over. Next, add some spices, and then the pasta and broccoli.

I love adding broccoli to pasta dishes like this, especially one with cheddar cheese. It’s a favorite combination. Not only does the broccoli incorporate a vegetable into the recipe, but it also adds great flavor. I love it with the spicy buffalo sauce too.

One Pot Buffalo Chicken Helper | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 3: Let the pasta cook

Once the pasta and broccoli are both added, pour over a mix of water and milk. Add a squeeze of ketchup (sounds weird, but trust me), then cook everything together until the pasta is al dente.

It’s important to stir the pasta frequently to ensure that nothing is sticking. But other than that, everything is EASY.

One Pot Buffalo Chicken Helper | halfbakedharvest.com

Step 4: add the buffalo sauce

When the pasta has cooked, mix in the hot sauce, butter, and pickled jalalpeños. Hot sauce + butter equals homemade buffalo sauce.

The final step is to stir in a handful of cheddar cheese, then bake until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with fresh green onions or parsley (it needs a little color!). Then enjoy!

As I always like to say – homemade is best!

I’m excited to have this recipe on hand for cozy fall and winter dinners to come. As expected, Creighton loved every bite. If you like buffalo mac and cheese, you can’t beat this!

One Pot Buffalo Chicken Helper | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other easy family dinners? Here are a few ideas: 

Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole

One Pan Autumn Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Easy Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese

Pumpkin Cheese Stuffed Pasta Bolognese Bake

One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake

Lastly, if you make this One Pot Buffalo Chicken “Helper” be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

One Pot Buffalo Chicken "Helper"

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 649 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onion, and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly seared all over, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder, cook for another minute.
    2. Add the pasta and broccoli. Mix gently, then pour over 1/2 cup water and the milk. Add the ketchup and stir to combine. Season with salt.
    3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring often. Stir in the jalapeños, salsa, hot sauce, and butter.
    4. Stir in the 1 1/2-2 cups cheese. Cook another few minutes until very creamy. Remove from the heat, top with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 425 for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
    5. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with green onions and cilantro.
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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    Delish and so easy to make!!! A fantastic weeknight meal. I halved the pasta and next time will double the chicken for extra protein. My husband also requested the add of some potential celery – yum!!!!

    Reply

  3. This recipe like all your recipes was delicious!!! My husband loved it as did I!!! Thank you Teighan so much for all the hard work you put into your recipes 💕😋😋

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This is literally the most delicious thing I’ve ever made! It was soooo good… spicy, creamy, cheesy. I was eating it straight out of the pot because I couldn’t wait to dish it up.
    Like others, I had to add a lot more liquid to cook the noodles (I just topped it off with low sodium chicken broth and it seemed to work).
    You need to make this!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Such a delicious and easy recipe! I switched out regular pasta for Banza cauliflower pasta and it cooked up the same and was so tasty.

    Reply

  7. This was so quick to throw together, used only one pot, made a ton and was super tasty! I did add more water/ milk but that was biggie! Thanks for another great dinner (and lunch tomorrow!)

    Reply

  8. 4 stars
    We made this tonight which was very tasty! However, the recipe does not call for enough liquid. We ended up adding about 1 cup of water and 3.5 cups of milk total. We also added way more hot sauce!

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    We made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! It was easy to make and there are plenty of leftovers for lunches which I’m excited about. The addition of the salsa verde really brought out all of the flavors even more. Like other reviewers, I did have to add more liquid than the recipe called for. I did use an entire bag of prepped broccoli from the grocery store so I ended up adding about one cup of water and 3.5 cups of milk to almost cover everything. I did add a bit more hot sauce, salsa and seasonings since I added more liquid. This recipe is delicious and a winner!

    Reply

  12. 4 stars
    Made it! Added about 1 cup extra of water to cover the noodles, and it was perfect! I recommend adding more water for sure if you want your noodles cooked.

    To reheat, microwave is fine, but it’s even better if you reheat on the stove with a little milk, butter, and extra cheese to “zhuzh” it up a bit!

    Reply