Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad

Name: Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad with Cheesy Ranch
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter (melted); 2 tablespoon olive oil; 1/4 cup hot sauce (I use Franks); 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt; 2 cups cooked quinoa; 1 cup cannellini beans (mashed); 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs; 1 large egg (lightly beaten); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon peper; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 cup greek yogurt; 1/2 cup butter milk; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped); 2 teaspoons dried chives; 1 clove garlic (grated); 1 teaspoon seasoned salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 2 ounces blue cheese; 1-2 cups leftover [baked french fries |https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/double-baked-fries-with-garlic-cheese-sauce-and-bacon/]; 8 cups of butter lettuce (chopped); 2 carrots (sliced or chopped); 4 green onions (sliced); 24 ounces gorgonzola or blue cheese (crumbled)

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May 13, 2013

Posted in Main Course, Salads, Vegetarian

Well guys it has been a whole month since that last buffalo recipe…..and I think you’ll really like this Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad!

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/

This means I am due to share another.

I think all Mondays should have at least a little buffalo sauce. Well buffalo sauce or margarita chicken and guacamole quesadilla’s. Yeah, one or better yet both of these things should happen every Monday.

That would make for a good Monday don’t cha think?

You know what would also make for a good Monday?

SLEEP!

This is something I do not get enough of and with summer right around the corner the days are getting longer and longer. More light equals more working time and more working time equals less sleep. But you know what I am OK with this. I love the long day’s and I am jumping out of my skin excited for summer to hit around here.

Ah wait. I am getting way ahead of myself here! How am I talking about summer? How is it that Memorial Day is exactly TWO weeks from today? This is crazy.

Oh and since we are talking about Memorial Day I feel I should tell you to prepare yourselves for some good food in the coming weeks. Lots of grilling, lots of fruit, marshmallows and lots of ice cream.

Oh and of course some random stuff scattered throughout. Oh and did I mention ice cream?

It’s gonna be good.

Let’s talk salad today though.

So I am all about quinoa. I mean for one, it is healthy and that’s just awesome. But I really love it cause it is amazing with pretty much anything. It can also be made into cute little balls that are crunchy, moist and… the perfect solution for when you open the fridge only to find that the chicken you thought you had was actually stolen by an older brother the day before!

Yes, this can be a life saver (my older brother’s life that is).

So speaking of buffalo sauce, I think my dad is growing more and more insane as the days roll on.

Remember when I made these buffalo shrimp sandwiches and I told you guys how my dad wanted to start a buffalo restaurant? Yeah, well these quinoa bites sealed the deal for him. He actually said he likes them better than buffalo chicken.

He is dead serious about the buffalo restaurant. He REALLY wants to open one. It’s starting to scare me.

Anyway, the base of the balls is mostly quinoa and then a about a cup of white beans and an egg to help the balls stick together. Then just crisp them up in a skillet and douse them in buffalo sauce.

Oh my gosh the dressing!! It’s a combo of homemade buttermilk ranch and blue cheese dressing and the only reason it’s a combo is because I could not decide between the two (yeah you know me and decisions). I think I spent twenty minutes of my hike going back and forth on which dressing to use until I finally decided to just combine the two. My brain just will not give me a break, it’s always going back and forth.

Then obviously, you NEED to cover the whole thing with extra buffalo sauce and blue cheese, or cheddar cheese if you’re not into the blue. We love the moldy stuff around here though.

4.34 from 24 votes

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

The Recipe

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad with Cheesy Ranch

By halfbakedharvest

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buffalo salad

A tasty salad packed full of buffalo flavor!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 438 kcal

Ingredients

Buffalo Sauce and Quinoa Bites

2 tablespoons butter melted
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup hot sauce I use Franks
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cannellini beans mashed
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon peper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Dressing:

1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup butter milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
2 teaspoons dried chives
1 clove garlic grated
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 ounces blue cheese

Salad

1-2 cups leftover [baked french fries |https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/double-baked-fries-with-garlic-cheese-sauce-and-bacon/] optional
8 cups of butter lettuce chopped
2 carrots sliced or chopped
4 green onions sliced
24 ounces gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbled

Instructions

Make the dressing. Combine all ingredients except the blue cheese in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the blue cheese and place in the fridge while you make the salads.
Make the buffalo sauce. Combine the melted butter, olive oil, hot sauce and seasoned salt in a medium size bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside
In another bowl combine the quinoa, mashed cannellini beans, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper and 4 tablespoons of the buffalo sauce. Mix well to moisten the ingredients and then form into 30-35 equal size balls (about 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of the quinoa mixture). Squeeze the balls together tightly with your hands, being careful.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add half the balls to skillet and cook until golden and crisp on all sides, about five minutes. Gently (very gently) toss about 10 balls at a time with the buffalo sauce or you can dip each ball in the sauce as well if you are afraid the balls will crumble.
To assemble the salads, combine lettuce and carrots in bowls or on plates. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then toss. Top with an equal amount of green onions and fries, then add the buffalo quinoa bites on top. Cover in blue cheese, then drizzle with the dressing and add any remaining buffalo sauce. Go to town!

Now, someone please tell my dad this restaurant trailer a bad idea.

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photo #halfbakedharvest.