Healthy Recipe: Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Happy Wednesday my friends! Sorry I’ve been MIA for the past few days- I had a lot of catching up to do after my weekend at the lake. But today I am back with a new, delicious, healthy little recipe. This quinoa enchilada is to die for! I made it for a few of my friends and they all loved it! This recipe is also a good one for the kids. They won’t even realize they are eating something healthy!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with quinoa, its quite the power food. Quinoa is a complete protein and gluten free- therefore safe to eat if you have celiac disease. Moreover, quinoa is an excellent source of magnesium and zinc, and a good source of iron and folate. And the best part of cooking quinoa is that it’s fairly easy to prepare. Before cooking, use a fine mesh strainer to rinse the quinoa and remove the outer coating, called saponin, which can give the quinoa a bitter taste.

This recipe is particularly easy because you pretty much just pour everything into a baking dish once your quinoa is boiled. Easy breezy! My favorite quinoa to use is from Trader Joe’s because its delicious and affordable. You can make this into a vegetarian dish by simply not adding chicken.

  

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 (10 ounce) can Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, froze or fresh
• 1/2 cup canned low sodium black beans
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 cup shredded chicken {optional}

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions; set aside
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8×8 or 2 quart baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
4. Spread quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheeses have melted, about 15 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and tomato, if desired.

 

Bon Appétit!

 

Xoxo,