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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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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”
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.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 chicken breast or thighs, cubed
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups milk (use what you drink)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1/3 cup salsa verde
- 1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- green onion and cilantro, for serving
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.
The salsa verde sent this over the top!! This was the perfect cozy Sunday night dish. I added a bit more liquid and needed some more time stirring on the stove top but after 10 min it was the perfect Al dente and still saucy enough for baking. Will be making this again!
Hey Kelly,
Wonderful!! I am so glad that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! xx
This is a good recipe! I read reviews before making it, which helped. This is how it worked for me:
used a very large Staub pot for lots of bottom surface area
Kept the liquid amount the same, and covered the pot while the pasta cooked, it was the right amount for me anyway!
Used 11 oz pasta
Did 3 chicken breasts – was too much for the pasta amount. Would do 2 chicken breasts next time and a bit more pasta
Reduced the amount of hot sauce and jalapenos and it was plenty spicy
Sprinkled a good amount of dill over the finished product – felt like it needed it! Highly recommend!
I didn’t give it 5 stars because I’ve had lots of HBH buffalo recipes that were better, but it was still really good. Would make it again if needing a quick dinner.
Thanks for keeping us stocked with buffalo flavoured recipes Tieghan! 🙂
Hi Amy,
I appreciate you making this dish and sharing all of your notes about what worked best for you! So glad it was enjoyed! xT
very good! i agree with Courtney!
Thanks so much Hilary! Love to hear that this dish was enjoyed:) xT
First of all, Tiegan is a chef. And an amazing one at that. Trust her process before you go adding more liquid. Did it seem like there wasn’t going to be enough liquid? Absolutely Yes. But if you use the right pot (see the size of the one she linked – I used one that was 3 quart and not 3.5 quart) and you FOLLOW the directions to bring to a boil then simmer and stir it will work! I simmered a little more than 5 minutes because my pot was smaller (maybe closer to 10 min) but everything was getting covered as I stirred and after 10 minutes the pasta was perfect. TRUST HER PROCESS. My finished product was creamy and cheesy and filled with buffalo flavor. I followed the recipe exactly as she wrote it.
Wow, thank you so so much Courtney! I appreciate it! xT
Delicious!! I saw lots of comments saying there’s not enough liquid for the pasta— but I used 1 pound of penne pasta and followed the recipe measurements exactly, and it cooked perfectly! By the time you add the buffalo sauce and salsa, and simmer it, then cook it in the oven for a few minutes, the pasta gets cooked through perfectly. Just trust the process and stir frequently 😊 Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Sarah! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for trying it out! xT
This was really yummy! I used ground chicken since that is what I had and it turned out perfect. My husband loved it.
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe!! Have a great week! xT
This recipe was excellent! Will definitely make again. I simmered the noodles maybe 7 minutes before putting in the cheese before going in the oven. For everyone worried about the pasta/liquid ratio, remember that the pasta continues to cook in the oven, therefore it doesn’t need to be fully cooked prior to oven time. Next time I’ll add broccoli right before oven so it’s brighter and crispier. Also- I broiled it at the end to get the top nice and crispy. The ultimate comfort food!
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
This has a great flavor profile if you like somewhat spicy Buffalo chicken and i do. I think most people who are having trouble making this are used to boxes of mac and cheese like I am in which you boil the pasta then mix with sauce. That’s isnt the same as the absorption method that she is usinghere. My advice is do not add more liquid. What she is doing is very much a correct and great way of cooking pasta dishes. You just have to measure things correctly, stir, and be cautious not to overcook because then the pasta gets gooey. Half baked harvest is a great site. This gal knows her cooking!
Hey Heidi! Thank you so much for the feedback! xT
It came back to me as I made this that I’d made it, or one similar and it didn’t work. The noodle to liquid ratio is way off. I’d say half a pound of noodles and more liquid. Great flavor concept just needs adjusting which I did this time and it was good.
Thank you for the feedback Jen! xT
I love HBH. Bought the first HBH cookbook and have made over 100 recipes. But this did not work for me. Like others have said, my experience was that there was simply not enough liquid to get the pasta soft. May eventually try again, but would boil the pasta separately before combining these ingredients. Hope others avoid wasting all the ingredients and the time on this one… but so many other recipes on this site are incredible!
Hey Abby! I am so so sorry about that! I appreciate the feedback! xT
It came back to me as I made this that I’d made it, or one similar and it didn’t work. The noodle to liquid ratio is way off. I’d say half a pound of noodles and more liquid. Great flavor concept just needs adjusting which I did this time and it was good.
I’ve made hundreds of your recipes and even own one of your cookbooks but this has to be the most screwed up recipe I’ve made from you. You call for a POUND of pasta but only 3 cups of water cook time 5 minutes?! Ridiculous. I had to double the water and double the cook time. Your instructions are inaccurate and I encourage you to edit this recipe.
Trust the process people! The pasta cooked perfectly, per the recipe. Just keep stirring. Really yummy, my family loved it
Thank you so much Courtney! SO glad this recipe turned out well for you! xT
Can this recipe be frozen? I’m making freezer meals for my family as we anticipate our second baby’s arrival.
Thanks!
Like other reviewers the pasta did not fully cook even though I used the recommended size pot. Think the recipe instructions need to be modified or perhaps it depends on pasta used. Otherwise good taste.
Hi there,
So sorry to hear that your pasta did not cook properly. Did you stir often? That is really key with these one pot pasta dishes! I would also try a smaller noodle next time:) I hope this helps! xx
I was a little disappointed by this recipe which was surprising because Half Baked has yet to fail me. The liquid to pasta ration was weird, I think of overcompensated and added more water. Overall flavors turned out weird.
Oh no I’m so sorry about that!!
I only found elbow macaroni at the commissary so I had to add more milk and water but use your own discretion. It came out so beautiful and I left out the broccoli and made it on the side. Really yummy and so easy. I skipped the baking step to make it a quicker meal. So good.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
This is ultimate comfort food! I was skeptical about the liquid to pasta ratio, but I trusted the recipe and my pasta was a beautiful al dente in 5 minutes. You just have to keep stirring. I mixed cheddar and mozzarella as it was what I had at the time. Cheesy and delicious!
Thank you so much Briana! xT
How on earth did you cook a pound of pasta in only 2 cups of liquid? I only bought enough milk for the cup and a half but needed way more plus more water to be able to cover the pasta in order to cook it and it sadly turned out super watery/liquidy. I think the recipe may need a revisit with changes. Will probably have to cook the pasta first and separate in order for it to work again.
Echoing Jamie’s comment – not enough liquid to cover the pasta in order to cook it evenly. I added some more water, but was worried about it being too watery so certain pieces of pasta didn’t get fully cooked.
Hey Jamie, thanks for the feedback! xT