This creamy and easy to make baked buckwheat casserole is a delicious, healthier alternative to the classic macaroni cheese.
This creamy baked buckwheat casserole is a delicious dish, perfect on its own or served alongside vegetable or meat dishes. Buckwheat has a distinctive, strong flavour which works really well with the creamy, mild cheese sauce.
The sauce contains quite a moderate amount of cheese - just enough to make it delicious but not too calorific.
I have adapted my basic white sauce recipe for this baked buckwheat dish by adding mustard and cream cheese into the sauce.
This recipe does not take long to prepare (approximately the same amount of time that is needed to make the classic macaroni cheese).
How to make creamy baked buckwheat: step-by-step
1.Boil the buckwheat in salted water according to packet instructions. Place the groats in a medium size casserole dish. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 450 F/ 230 C/ gas mark 8.
2. In a saucepan gently melt the butter, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add half of the milk, increase the heat and cook until the sauce thickens whisking all the time. Pour in the rest of the milk and cook until the sauce starts to bubble. Remove from the heat, add the mustard, cream cheese, onion granules and ⅔ of the grated cheese. Stir thoroughly and adjust seasoning as necessary.
3. Pour the sauce over the buckwheat and give a good stir.
4. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top and bake in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes (until the cheese becomes golden brown).
5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Top tips for making creamy baked buckwheat
- Buckwheat: Boil the buckwheat in salted water according to packet instructions and either make the recipe or cool and then refrigerate the groats to use later. When you are ready to make the recipe just rinse the cooked buckwheat with a bit of hot water (in a strainer) and give it a good stir.
- Best served immediately. The dish won't be as creamy after 30 minutes.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Serving suggestions
You can serve this baked buckwheat casserole as a main dish with salad or steamed vegetables. It also makes a great side dish perfect with chicken, pork or turkey recipes. Try it with my easy chicken and mushroom casserole or stuffed chicken breast with mushrooms.
Check out also this collection of over 12 healthy vegetarian pasta meals.
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Keep in touch
If you make this buckwheat mac n cheese I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
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Creamy Baked Buckwheat Casserole with Cheese
Ingredients
- 200 g buckwheat (1.18 cups)
- 360 ml semi-skimmed milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1.5 tbsp cream cheese either full-fat or low-fat
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 120 g mature Cheddar cheese coarsely grated
- ⅓ tsp onion granules
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the buckwheat (in salted water) according to packet instructions. Place in a medium size (about 6 cm deep) baking dish and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 450 F/ 230 C/ gas mark 8.
- In a saucepan gently melt the butter, add the flour and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add some of the milk, increase the heat and continue cooking until the mixture has thickened whisking all the time. Pour in the rest of the milk and cook until the sauce starts to bubble up whisking frequently.
- Remove from the heat, add the cream cheese, mustard, onion granules and ⅔ of the grated cheese and stir. Adjust the seasoning as necessary.
- Pour the sauce over the buckwheat, stir thoroughly ensuring the sauce is distributed evenly, scatter the remaining cheese over the top and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Buckwheat: Boil the buckwheat in salted water according to packet instructions and either make the recipe or cool and then refrigerate the groats to use later. When you are ready to make the recipe just rinse the cooked buckwheat with a bit of hot water (in a strainer) and give it a good stir.
- Best served immediately. The dish won't be as creamy after 30 minutes.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Preparation Time includes the time needed to cook the buckwheat.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Oooh Monika this looks and sounds delicious! I love macaroni cheese and one that is a bit healthier works well for me! A must try! Popping over from #CookOnceEatTwice x
Thank you Kirsty! Cheese makes everything taste better, even buckwheat:)
Definitely going to try this - I've been looking for a way of making buckwheat a bit more Peachick Appealing!
Thanks! I've also been trying to cook buckwheat a bit more, and this is a really easy way to do it:)
I'm going to have to try this Monika - I have a lot of buckwheat that needs to be eaten!
I hope you like it if you do try it. I find buckwheat on its own a little dry, it's much tastier with a sauce.
I have never tried buckwheat! This looks like a great recipe to start me on it though x
Thanks! Buckwheat tastes better with a sauce, on its own it can be a little dry, in my opinion. It's very healthy so it's worth trying:)
This sounds delicious Monika! I have a bag of buckwheat in the cupboard that has been opened for far too long and I keep thinking I should use it in something. This sounds really tasty and I do love anything with a cheesy sauce. Thank you so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Thanks Corina! This is one of my favourite ways of eating buckwheat, and it's so simple too.