This high protein buffalo chicken crockpot pasta doesn’t skimp on flavor, can be made in just one pan (a crockpot!), and is healthier than your average pasta. It’s a delicious and low-maintenance meal!
This recipe uses cottage cheese to make a creamy, decadent sauce that is also high in protein (you won’t be able to taste it). It’s a super filling and well-balanced meal that is ideal for a busy mom looking for an easy, delicious crockpot meal. Also, it’s good enough to feed a crowd.
I love this dish because it combines comfort with nutrition. It has all the flavor and creaminess of a rich, decadent pasta – but it is super high in protein, iron and calcium.
Reasons to Try This Pasta:
- First off, the taste! If you love a creamy pasta with the flavor of buffalo chicken, you’ll really enjoy this pasta.
- It’s so easy. Minimal prep, and just throw it in the crockpot, need I say more? I even cooked the noodles in there (see directions on how to do this below).
- Healthy and nutritious. Not only is this meal really high in protein, the cottage cheese and shredded cheese are excellent sources of calcium.
- The 48 grams of protein per serving will keep you full and satisfied.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast (1 pound). You’ll need about one pound of chicken breast for this recipe. If using Barilla Protein+ pasta noodles, you could even opt for less chicken and it would still be high in protein.
- 2% Milk Fat Small Curd Cottage Cheese (1 1/2 Cups). I find that using 2% milkfat small curd cottage cheese works just fine but feel free to use a higher fat cottage cheese for more creaminess.
- Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce (3/4 Cup)
- Barilla Protein+ Pasta (14 oz. Box). I love rotini or cellentani noodles for this recipe.
- Red and/or Orange Bell Pepper (2 Whole Peppers, Diced). I like to throw in diced carrots as well. Cauliflower would be a great addition, too!
- Shredded Cheese (1/2 Cup). I used only about a 1/2 cup of a mixed blend shredded cheese and found this to be enough since the pasta is already so creamy. It also decreases the spiciness of this dish just a bit.
- Celery, optional. I recently started adding diced celery to this dish, which adds a nice crunch! It’s a game-changer!
- Green onions, for garnish.
Nutritional Information
Since I am a dietitian and all, I have to discuss the nutritional information for this dish. Using an entire box of pasta, this recipe can feed six people (with pretty large bowls of pasta).
Each serving is about 550 calories, and 44 grams of protein! That is a lot of protein for one meal, and will likely keep you full for the rest of the night. It’s also high in iron and calcium.
If you’re looking to make this recipe less calories, use a half or 3/4 box of pasta. You could also use less chicken.
For vegetarians or those looking to eat less meat, this sauce could be used on the Barilla Protein+ noodles and the chicken could be eliminated entirely (and it would still provide a lot of protein).
Buffalo Chicken Crockpot Pasta Instructions
This pasta is so simple yet so good! You will have leftovers for days, so it’s perfect for high protein meal prep! It’s a very, very filling meal that will keep you full for for hours!
1. Prep Ingredients and Equipment
For this recipe, you’ll need a crockpot, blender (unless your cottage cheese is already whipped), and an electric hand mixer unless you are using two forks to shred the chicken. Dice red peppers into bite-sized pieces, and chop green onions. Set aside.
2. Season Chicken in Crockpot
Lay your chicken breasts in the crockpot and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. Make the Creamy Buffalo Sauce
Whip about 1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese and 3/4 cup of Buffalo sauce of your choice in a blender. If using already whipped cottage cheese, add the ingredients to a bowl and mix together.
4. Pour Red Peppers, Diced Celery and Cream Sauce Into Crockpot
Put the chicken in the crockpot with the red peppers and celery, then pour the creamy sauce over the top. You can also add the celery in with the noodles if you prefer more crunch!
Cook on low for at least 4 hours, or until the chicken can be easily shredded with a mixer or fork. I do not recommend cooking this recipe on high as cottage cheese can curdle at high temperatures.
5. Shred the Chicken
After cooking on low for at least 4 hours, shred the chicken with a hand mixer or two forks.
6. Add the Pasta
Add the noodles to the crockpot and cook on low for 30 minutes or high for 15 minutes. Do not cook on high any longer than this- as the cottage cheese could curdle.
I like to cook the noodles on low for 15-minutes, check on them, add additional hot sauce (or water or chicken broth for moisture) and seasonings as needed, then cook for another 15-minutes. Another option is to cook the noodles separately and combine them with the shredded chicken and sauce.
7. Taste and Garnish
If the dish seems too dry add a bit more water or chicken broth. Stir in the shredded cheese and combine so everything is saucy and cheesy! Plate into bowls, garnish with the green onions and enjoy! It’s that simple!
Recipe Tips
- Cook on low to ensure the cottage cheese doesn’t curdle.
- Use Greek yogurt for an easy substitute that’s also high in protein and calcium.
- Add a little water or chicken broth to thin out the sauce, if you think it’s too thick. Add even more cheese to thicken it up.
- Omit the chicken for an easy, high protein vegetarian meal.
Buffalo Chicken Crockpot Pasta {with Cottage Cheese}
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast
- 3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce, or any buffalo sauce
- 1 1/2 cups lower sodium cottage cheese, 2% milkfat or higher
- 2 red and/or orange bell peppers, diced
- 2-3 carrots, diced small optional
- 2-3 celery stalks, diced small
- 1 lb. Barilla Protein Plus rotini noodles
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese sub with any kind of cheese you want
- 1 bunch of green onions, diced (optional)
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients and equipment. Dice red bell peppers (carrots and celery optional). Chop green onions and set aside.
- Place chicken breast into crockpot and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Pour cottage cheese and buffalo sauce into a blender, blend until smooth.
- Cover the chicken with the red peppers, diced celery and other veggies then pour over the sauce.
- Cook on low for 4 hours or until the chicken can be easily shredded. Use a hand mixer or two forks to shred the chicken. You can also add in the celery with the noodles if you prefer more crunch!
- After the chicken is shredded, add the box of pasta. Give it a stir.
- Cover the crockpot and cook on low for another 30 minutes or on high for 15 minutes. Check the pasta halfway through. Add chicken broth or more hot sauce and seasonings if needed.
- Once the pasta has cooked, turn the crockpot to warm. Stir in the cheese and combine- making sure all the sauce on the bottom gets mixed in. Add more liquid (water or chicken broth) if it seems too dry for your preference. Portion into a bowl and garnish with green onions.
Notes
- Greek yogurt is a great substitute for the cottage cheese.
- Bleu cheese or cheddar cheese would be delicious as well.
- If you prefer a thicker, creamier pasta, be careful adding additional liquid (like water or chicken broth).
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 562 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 9.3g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat 2.1g | 10% |
| Cholesterol 21mg | 7% |
| Sodium 1304mg | 57% |
| Total Carbohydrate 97.8g | 36% |
| Dietary Fiber 10.4g | 37% |
| Total Sugars 7.1g | |
| Protein 48.1g | |
| Vitamin D 1mcg | 5% |
| Calcium 131mg | 10% |
| Iron 5mg | 27% |
| Potassium 169mg | 4% |
More High Protein Dinner Ideas:
- Feta Pasta with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- Creamy Coconut Shrimp Pasta
- High Protein Slow Cooker Dinners
- 10-Minute Lentil Salad with Nooch Dressing
An Easy, Simple and Well-Balanced Meal
This buffalo chicken crockpot pasta recipe ticks a lot of boxes for me. It’s filling, packed with protein, and best of all – super easy!
I love a good cottage cheese swap, like this butternut squash cottage cheese pasta recipe.
If you tried this recipe, let me know what you think!
Wow! Who would’ve thought this would be so good (and so easy). My husband loved it too.
The recipe card does not include shredded cheese. How did you get 399mg of sodium per serving? The buffalo sauce alone has 5,520mg. When I used a recipe builder I got 1,243.9mg per serving.
Thank you for pointing this out! You are correct, I am not sure what happened there. I didn’t notice the sodium was that low! I just corrected it with a new estimation that better reflects the nutritional value.