Quinoa Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

This recipe was adapted from Eating RD. If you’ve never had quinoa before, it is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. A cup of quinoa has 127 calories, 2 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbohydrate (which include 2 grams of fiber), and 4.5 grams of protein. It has a pretty similar nutritional profile to brown rice, except it is higher in overall protein content.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound shiitake or other mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp AP flour
3-4 cups skim milk (or you could do 1/2 broth, 1/2 milk)
3-4 heads of broccoli, chopped (I just used a bag of Eat Smart broccoli because it was BOGO at Publix)
2 cups quinoa
1-1.5 cups 2% shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of cayenne
2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped (I just used a rotisserie chicken)

Directions

1. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms, and cook 8 minutes or until softened.

2. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute.

3. Slowly whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly until mixture thickens. Add broccoli and quinoa to cook halfway.

4. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in 1/2 cup cheese, seasonings, mushroom mixture and chicken. Transfer to a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch (4-quart) casserole dish.

5. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or bake, covered with foil, at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly, uncover, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and brown for 10 minutes.