Tasty Tuesday - Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

I know some people who cringe when you say the word casserole.  I grew up eating casseroles and absolutely love them.  Some of my favorite dishes my mom makes are casseroles.  Pizza casserole, tater tot casserole, green bean casserole.  Just because its mixed together and baked in a 13x9 pan doesn't mean it can't be delicious and full of flavor.

I like making casseroles for the kids because it's a great way to add veggies to their dinner.  Although they will eat some veggies just steamed and as a side, often times they'll tackle the meat first and the veggies are left once they're full.  

I thought I would tackle a casserole favorite, broccoli rice casserole, and change it up a little.  While I'm not completely opposed to rice, I prefer not to base an entire meal around it. I'd much rather use a whole grain pasta or quinoa.  This was my first time using quinoa in a casserole, and I think it turned out well.  My 13 year old niece and both kids downed it.  H and B even had seconds.  

Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

2 cups quinoa

2 cups cooked shredded or diced chicken

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 bunch broccoli

1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup

1 can low sodium cream of chicken soup

Instructions:

1. Prepare quinoa as instructed on bag. Most quinoa requires 2 cups of water per cup of quinoa.  

2. Clean, peel and cut up broccoli. Use the stems and heads. Smaller pieces are better. Steam for 5 minutes.  Do not fully cook.  

3. Once quinoa is fully cooked and broccoli is steamed, mix all ingredients in the pot the quinoa was cooked in. 

4. Spread mixture in a greased 13x9 pan.  Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes, until thoroughly warmed and lightly browned on top.    

Notes: I recommend getting pre rinsed quinoa.  Trying to rinse and drain quinoa is a pain. You can make this a vegetarian dish by leaving out the chicken and using an additional can of cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken.  I used salt and pepper when I served myself.  I think if I make it again I will add pepper to the mix and probably 1/2 cup of red onion.  While it wasn't bland by any means, I did feel it could use more flavors. 

Happy cooking!

Leftover Makeover

I had about 2/3 of a pan of this left after a couple days. I know there was no way we were going to finish it all, so I decided to whip up some mini muffins. The mini muffins are a go to food for my picky eaters. I make a batch of broccoli quinoa mini muffins every month now because they love them so much. I always have a stockpile of them in the freezer.

Ingredients

Leftover broccoli quinoa casserole
3 eggs
2 cups cheddar cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 400*.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Spoon mixture into silicone mini muffin pan, or greased mini muffin pan. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes. Mini muffins will be lightly brown around the edges.

Notes: These freeze great and reheat easily in the microwave. If you want to make full size muffins, up the baking time to 25 or 30 minutes.