This hearty Baked Quinoa Casserole will warm your heart and lift your conscience; you'll sleep better knowing you had a healthy dinner consisting of nature's own super food. Packed with steamed broccoli florets and strips of seasoned chicken breast, this creamy casserole is topped off with Gruyere cheese.
If you haven't heard of Quinoa, let me introduce you! Quinoa is a south American seed that is cooked just as any grain would be and is considered easy to digest. It's technically not a (cereal) grain and doesn't contain gluten, which has made it extremely popular with the rise of gluten-free diets as of late. It's packed with protein and fiber, among other nutrients and also has calcium, which has made it popular with vegan diets too. In the U.S. Quinoa has risen to super-star fame in just the last few years as more and more people move to alternative diets.
The first step in creating this recipe is to make your own creamy white sauce. The quinoa, chicken and broccoli will bake in this sauce and make the whole dish creamy and delicious. Use any poultry (chicken) seasoning you like to give the sauce a great depth of flavor. An additional seasoning blend, Emeril's Essence seasoning, is used to season the chicken and add a great savory flavor. If you can't find it, use your own favorite seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash or something similar). Steamed broccoli is mixed in towards the end of baking time and then the whole thing is topped off with melted Gruyere cheese! Casserole just isn't casserole unless there's cheese involved :0)
Note: The Quinoa is done cooking when it looks like it's popped open and is soft. If you find your casserole is still a bit on the liquid-y side after baking, just pop it back in the oven for a few extra minutes for the ingredients to finish soaking up the sauce.
My family and I really enjoyed eating this casserole, and I was glad to have prepared something that I knew was nutritious. I hope you enjoy it too :0)
Recipe adapted from www.pinchofyum.com one of my favorite recipe blogs :0)
Baked Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli
by
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 to 55 minutes
Ingredients (6 to 8 servings)
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups water, divided
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon (about 3 slices)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons Emeril's Essence seasoning
- 1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
Instructions
1. Set your oven to heat to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish well with shortening. In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1/2 cup milk, flour and poultry seasoning until combined. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk just to boiling, then whisk in the milk/flour mixture and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly until sauce thickens, then remove from heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the bacon, quinoa, one cup of water and the white sauce. Pour into your prepared baking dish. Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels. Slice into thin slices (approx 1/4 inch wide) and lay them on top of the white sauce mixture in the dish. Season with Emeril's basic blend by sprinkling all over the chicken. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for at least 30 to 40 minutes, or until the quinoa is soft, the chicken cooked through and the sauce is thick and reduced.
3. While the casserole bakes, steam the broccoli florets by placing them in boiling water for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse the broccoli under cold water. Set aside.
4. When the chicken and quinoa have finished baking, stir in the broccoli florets and an additional 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water if needed. The casserole should be creamy and smooth and stir around easily. Sprinkle on the cheese and pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt. Serve.
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