Broccoli Quinoa Casserole Recipe
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This Broccoli Quinoa Casserole recipe is easy to make, packed with flavor, and healthy! It’s the perfect blend of cheesy comfort and healthy food!
Broccoli Quinoa Casserole Recipe
It’s a better broccoli casserole with the substitution of quinoa for rice. This dish has a slightly nutty flavor from the quinoa, a creamy, smooth texture from the cheese, and a fresh crunch from the broccoli. In addition, all the nutrition that quinoa packs make this a winning combo.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa is a seed, not a grain. However, quinoa is a complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids, which are rare in a plant product. One cup of cooked quinoa contains 222 calories and 4 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein. It has 15 percent of the daily value for iron and is also a good source of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E.
Quinoa is also a gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole food. As well as it’s naturally kosher.
What does quinoa taste like?
It has a nutty flavor but a fluffy texture. It easily takes on whatever sauce or flavor you add to it.
Making a Healthy Broccoli Casserole
- Dice broccoli and green onion.
- Add veggies to quinoa.
- Boil broccoli and quinoa for 12 minutes.
- Make a roux for the quinoa casserole sauce by cooking equal parts of fat and flour.
- Add milk and let the sauce come to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low.
- Add cheese and stir until melted.
- Drain quinoa and broccoli and add to the cheese mixture.
- Place in a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.
Other Recipes Like Quinoa Casserole
- Chile Cheese Rice
- Keto Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower
- Scalloped Mascarpone Cauliflower
- Baked Fried Green Tomatoes
I updated this post from an earlier version with new photos and simplified recipe instructions.
Broccoli Quinoa Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa rinse if called for on package
- 1 and ¼ cup water or what's recommended on package
- 1 cup broccoli florets chopped, more if desired
- 2 Tablespoons green onions chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons self-rising flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 and ½ cup peppper jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Rinse quinoa according to package directions (if called for, not all quinoa requires this step). Drain. Heat 1 and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. (Most packages say to use 1 and 1/4 cup water to 1 cup of quinoa. But go by what your package says.) Once boiling add quinoa, green onions, and broccoli and cook 12 minutes (or according to package instructions for the quinoa)
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a boil while whisking. Once the mixture reaches a low boil, remove from heat and stir in cheeses. Stir until cheese melts.
- Drain quinoa and vegetables from the water and add to the cheese sauce. Stir. Pour into a casserole dish and bake 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
It does not tell what temp to bake this. I doubled the broccoli, it was way too much cheese and too little broccoli. It also says to drain the quinoa after cooking with the broccoli, there was nothing to drain, it was not enough liquid, quinoa started to burn. Maybe I did something wrong