Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Healthy, cheesy comfort food without any of the guilt!
Jason and I have decided to have a mini getaway after his graduation in May. He’s been in architecture grad school for the last 3 years, and seeing that this is the last break he’ll ever have, we will be flying to a gorgeous resort to Cabo for 5 whole days! That being said, I have 2 months to get ready for bikini season, and since I love food too much to “diet”, I’ve lightened up a classic comfort food favorite.
This casserole is made completely from scratch with healthy ingredients – but have no fear – there’s plenty of cheese, creaminess, toasted breadcrumbs for that extra crunch, and an overall balance of veggies and quinoa for that extra protein. And if Jason, the all-time quinoa hater, devoured this without looking up, well, I’m sure your pickiest of eaters will just gobble this up too!
Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ⅓ cup Panko*
- 3 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions. Within the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add broccoli on top and steam until cooked through.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add Panko and cook, stirring, until browned and toasted, about 3 minutes; set aside.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces; set aside.
- Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in quinoa, broccoli, chicken, 1 cup cheese and Greek yogurt; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread broccoli mixture into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Place into oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with Panko, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I was looking for a side to go with fish. I’m on a low sodium diet and this recipe jumped out at me. I excluded the chicken, used low sodium cheese, no added salt and it was delicious. I will definitely make again with the chicken. Thanks for the recipe!
Great recipe and for the instructions
After reading the reviews of this recipe, I opted to season the chicken with McCormick Montreal Chicken and cooked the quinoa in chicken broth (see cookiandkate.com. for the best method of cooking quinoa). I also baked the casserole for 15 minutes and broiled it for 5 more minutes. So good!
I’ve made this about three times. I sautee broccoli first then remove from pan, add onion, garlic and mushrooms to this dish and bake for 20-25 mins ..it’s a hit every time.
I tried this recipe a couple months back and it was ok … A little soupy in texture. This time I whisked much more aggressively and kept in the oven for about 15 minutes instead of 5. It was delicious!!! Now that I have the hang of it, I will make it more often. Perfect healthier version of comfort food.
Really — heat up the oven only to use it for 5 minutes to melt cheese?! Why not do the whole thing on the stovetop?
Hi Vivian! You are more than welcome to do this on the stovetop. We simply did it this way and found it to be delicious. 🙂
The recipe was delicious! I left out the chicken and served it with grilled chicken instead. Everyone loved it more than eating broccoli and quinoa separately. Cheese does make everything better:) it was definitely a great alternative to traditional Mac-n-cheese. Thanks!!
I loved this so much! I read the reviews before cooking and took some suggestions. I cooked my quinoa in chicken stock and steamed the broccoli after (I used frozen). I sautéed onion garlic after the chicken and set aside. I sprinkled Unami seasoning all throughout the dish. Then used whole wheat Panko for the top. My 1 year old ate 3 plates! It was soooo good.
Great recipe, will make again. It needs more seasoning. I will add onion and garlic next time.
Takes a little bit longer than 30 minutes to make & have ready, but it was absolutely delicious!
I love this recipe. It’s a comfort food that I make for myself often. I read someone talking about spicing it up and I wanted to share something I do that’s pretty yummy. At the step when it’s basically all cooked and you’re just combining everything and about to pour it into a baking dish to go into the oven, I like to add the Trader Joe’s umami mushroom seasoning and some nutmeg. I eyeball both, but the nutmeg should just be providing a HINT of depth. It’s probably 1/8 teaspoon. The mushroom seasoning probably isn’t as delicate of a flavor because this dish isn’t lacking in the umami department; the spice just added yumminess. I do wish there were nutrition facts on this one. While the ingredients are fairly healthy, I’m a little nervous to see the macros on it.
Awesome recipe, I also use it with Orzo. I add garlic and onion as well for some flavor.
It’s very simple but pretty good! I might add some spice to it next time but haven’t figured out what to add yet (sage, red pepper, chives?). After 5 minutes in the oven it was soupy and not very appealing, so I left it in for probably almost 30 minutes while I worked on something else and it firmed up and got a little brown and crispy on top, which was nice. I used fake chicken chunks (Quorn) since we are vegetarian and I ran out of cheddar so I mixed in a little gruyere I had on hand. Use a big pan since you have to mix everything together at the end!
Thanks so much for all of your recipes. I tried this recipe and my picky eaters finished their portion, which is not usual. Just wonder, what other dish would you suggest to serve with this?
Delish! I subbed sour cream for the yogurt, and added a little cauliflower and mushrooms. Insanely good!
Is there nutritional information for this?
Hi Shannon! Nutritional information is provided only for select recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps!
So easy to follow and really delicious!
Just wondering if anyone has tried this as a side dish, without the chicken? It sounds great and I would like to take it to a neighborhood dinner to be served with a smoked turkey. Thanks for any input!
Amazing! Would definitely make this again. Even my picky 3 year old ate it and said it was yummy! I used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt as I couldn’t afford a $5 tub of Greek yogurt lol. Especially for 1/2 a cup.
Husband loved it as well! I added some garlic and onions as other reviewers said it was a tad bland, and a dash of Italian seasoning. This is a recipe that would be great for a potluck as it is easy and delicious!
Thank you for your feedback, Rachel!
Followed as written and we couldn’t get enough! Thank you!
Can this be frozen? If so before or after cooking?
Unfortunately, due to the amount of liquid in this dish, I do not recommend freezing this.
Whoever published this needs to reread the instructions. I cannot tell if each section is meant to be cooked in SEPARATE skillets or all the same. I would love to cook this recipe but it sounds way too confusing for something that should be simple. Thank you.
Nicole, you can use the same skillet for steps 3, 4, and 5. Why dirty another pan? But if you prefer, you can certainly use separate skillets. That is completely up to you!
There’s no need to overthink here – I just try my best so we can all save on dirty dishes! 🙂
Hello! I am a HUGE fan of your site and this is one of my fsvorite recipes of yours. I’m finally buying an adult skillet *haha* and I’m wondering what kind you use/recommend (i.e. Iron vs. Nonstick and what size), specifically for uses like those in this recipe. Thanks so much!
I recommend both cast iron and nonstick skillets (about 10-12 inches) – they’re so great to have on hand for so many different recipes. I hope that helps!
I’m a 19 year old guy that’s lives by myself with very little cooking experience and this recipe was easy to make and surprisingly good too.
Wow, this sounds SOOO good! I love broccoli, cheese and chicken together, and I can only imagine the addition of quinoa would make it all come together perfectly. Going to make this for my extended family soon, ’cause there’d be just too much for me alone to eat (unless I just kept on eating it over a few days 🙂 ).
the taste was still good… but it came out very wet and soupy for me… not as i imagined. also when it said chop the broccoli finely … well i guess i overdid it. it was like a buttery cheesy soup with quinoa, some chicken chunks, and broccoli dust. oh well. i really am a terrible cook and even the simplest of recipes comes out disappointing or “ok” at best. totally not the recipe’s fault (i don’t think). i just don’t have any talent or natural ability whatsoever with cooking. “Oh it’s practice” “Oh it’s easy, just follow the directions!” nope. i honestly feel like i am learning disabled when it comes to cooking.
OMG, this was so good, definitely satisfied a craving I’ve had for awhile. Loved the extra flavor from the Greek yogurt, the crunch from the Panko, and all the creamy deliciousness.
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Seriously! This is the best website there is when it comes to some seriously great dishes!!! DAMN DELICIOUS!!! Thank you, for all you do!!! I’m in love with every recipe!! !!!
Could this be made with turkey chop meat instead of chicken?
Of course!
I had such high hopes for this one. My family found it rather bland. I feel like just salt and pepper isn’t enough to season this enough to bring in much flavor. I’ll try again jazzing it up.
This is DEEEElicious, but might I respectfully request you revisit the prep time and total time? Or are you counting the prep time from a mise en place? I’ve made this twice now and even with every ingredient and pan out and ready for prep, it took more like two hours!
I will start off by saying- I don’t leave comments on food blogs, but I have made this countless times now and I felt like it was time.
This is so freaking good. Seriously- make this now. The only change I make is that I cook the chicken breasts in the oven and chop them up rather than on the stove top. Everything else is absolutely perfect. My two year old loves it, I love it, it freezes amazingly well and it’s healthy. It’s perfection.
Hello, This looks delicious. I was wondering if anyone had ever tried making this ahead of time and then heating it in the oven later? Obviously it would need more than five minutes. Thanks!
Make this yesterday. Awesome, nice light delegate flavor. When I cook quinoa after rinsing I roast in sauce pan, stirring while drying or quinoa will stick, Having Chicken or Vegetable broth at hand pouring over quinoa and cooking.
Also changed out milk used 1 cup Coffee Mocha and one cup of milk. Thanks Ms Chungah
Does this keep well? I live by myself and only cook for myself so I would have a lot of left-overs.
Yes, it does!
Just made this dish – was excited to use up a bunch of ingredients on a cold day. It is absolutely delicious! I am a staunch opponent of quinoa in most things – I’m weird about texture in food sometimes – but I had some quinoa around from a previous recipe fail. This casserole is fantastic and has changed my opinion of quinoa! I did need to cook the casserole longer than indicated so it would firm up a bit, but I think that was mostly due to my lack of something with which to drain the soaked quinoa. I did sub in chicken stock for water to cook the quinoa. This is a winner, yum!!
Made this a couple of days ago. It was fantastic! In fact, you might say it was Damn Delicious! I am in a group that swaps freezer meals, does anyone know if this would freeze well? Any tips? Thanks!
Unlike some of the other commenters, I found this dish to be flavorful and had no issues with technical execution. The toasted Panko is listed as optional, but I highly recommend it. I completely forgot the Greek yogurt, but will try it next time. I used broccolette and included stems as well as florets (I think it’s wasteful to throw away stems). If you’re using stems (or even if you’re not), I would recommend sauteing the broccoli for a few minutes to get it a bit softer prior to cooking. I added it raw and cooked the casserole for 10 minutes instead of 5, which worked well, but it was still a little crunchy for my taste. Sauteing in advance also provides an opportunity to add more flavor. I’ll probably saute the broccoli with a little garlic and red pepper flakes next time. Another commenter mentioned that she used almond milk and could taste it. I also used almond milk since that’s what I had on hand, but if you’re using almond milk, make sure it’s unsweetened. Overall, I thought that the dish was very good and I would definitely make it again with some minor tweaks. By the way, for hot sauce aficionados, this pairs well with Frank’s Red Hot.
I didn’t see an answer to the previous questions regarding prepping this ahead of time . Could you prep it and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours to heat in the oven afterwards?
Yes, absolutely.
Just made this! It was phenomenal! 🙂
-Didn’t have greek yogurt, so just didn’t add it. Nothing in its place, dish was still great!
-Put all the cheese in the casserole and added extra on top cuz I’m a fatty.
This was my first time making/eating quinoa, and I was a little scared cuz it smelled so weird after cooking… but in the finished casserole I was amazed at how delicious and perfect the texture was! Thanks so much for this recipe.
Do you think this could be made ahead and frozen?
disregard… I see another response that indicates not to freeze
I mistakenly thought that making a casserole would save me time. I would have been better off preparing the components separately. Even with added onions, garlic, and mushrooms the dish was not very flavorful and not worth the time and effort. Sorry, I really wanted to like it!
Oh my! Absolute BEST quinoa recipe I’ve made. I actually forgot to add greek yogurt but still came out delicious. Definitely a keeper for weeknight dinner rotation. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was wonderful. Thanks for sharing! Your directions were great and the casserole turned out perfectly. Definitely will be repeating and recommending along.
My husband and I both loved this. I did tweak it slightly to suit our tastes (slightly less cheese, added onion and garlic), but kept all the fundamental ingredients and the method intact. This is a great recipe – the panko was an especially perfect touch. Thank you!!
This is so delicious I have made it numerous times.
To save time I use previously cooked chicken – 2 to 3 cups diced.
I steam the broccoli pieces separately then cut it up finely.
I just made this, but I completely changed it up. Instead of butter, I used olive oil, instead of flour I used almond flour, instead of milk I used almond milk, and added a tbs of cornstarch and a tbs of cold water to thicken it up, and left out the cheese completely. I believe it’s gluten free this way but I could be wrong, it’s much less calorie filled though. But the flavor was left out this way, so I added some salt and mrs dash and that helped. A good week day healthy alternative!
Wow – I’m converted. Never been a huge fan of quinoa, but in this recipe I can eat it all day, any day. Absolutely delicious 🙂
This is delicious. I’ve made it twice now – the first as written (it was great!) and the second time with a little bit of chopped red onion and a clove of garlic with the chicken. I used frozen broccoli, rotisserie chicken, and one of those heat and serve bags of quinoa. It was ready really quickly and it’s so comforting. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi,
Can I substitute risotto for the quinoa? This looks so delicious but not sure the kids (or I) will eat quinoa. 🙂
Yes, absolutely.
Damn delicious meal! Everyone loved it! Thank you 🙂
Can I make this without the chicken? Maybe up the broccoli portions?
Yes, absolutely.
Ooops! Just saw your response to the same question asked before me! Sorry for the duplicate question!!
Could u make this without the chicken? And what adjustments to the recipe would there be?
Amanda, yes, you can omit the chicken as needed, although you may have to adjust the other ingredients as needed to compensate for this.
Can’t wait to try this!!
i just made this with the help of my mother and it tasted amazing! Even though the recipe is not completely healthy, the quinoa and broccoli kind of balance everything out. I loved it, and will definitely make it again soon!
I made this for dinner tonight after seeing this recipe on Pinterest. I’m only just getting into cooking and I was really proud of how this turned out!!! So delicious and cheesy. I also added some cauliflower that was sitting in my fridge.
Thanks so much, this is great!
Michaela from Melbourne
Has anyone ever made this as a side dish by omitting the chicken?
I got your recipe from an email, Domino maybe… I forget. But so delish and easy to make. I’ll be searching your site for for more dinner ideas!
can you use a rotisserie chicken (shredded)?
Yes, but you may have to adjust the other ingredients as needed to account for this addition.
Made this for dinner tonight and everybody had second helpings so I’m thinking it was a success! I added in some red pepper flakes when mixing everything at the end for an extra kick. The greek yogurt gives it a great creaminess. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Thank you for having a broccoli casserole recipe that doesn’t begin with one can of cream of anything. I already have the cooked quinoa in the fridge. Love that you did it all in your skillet too! I’m following suit.
I really enjoyed this recipe. I used tricolor quinoa from Trader Joe’s and cooked it with chicken broth as suggested on the package. I was feeling kind of lazy and didn’t want to cook chicken, so I left it out and cooked extra quinoa instead. I sprinkled some garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in the sauce mixture when I added the milk. I’ve been craving comfort food, and this really hit the spot. I’ll be saving this recipe to make again.
Where does the panko come in? Is it just sprinkled on top or is it also in the recipe somewhere else? Sorry got a bit confused…
The Panko is sprinkled on top:
Serve immediately, sprinkled with Panko, if desired.
Got home to find out my hubby tossed out my quinoa on accident..boo. Since I had pre cooked my chicken and chopped my veggies broccoli/cauliflower mix I decided to throw some left over brown rice. Needless to say the guys in my house were blown away. I can’t wait to uae quinoa next time. Thank you for sharing.
Has anyone tired freezing this meal? would it freeze well with the greek yogurt in it?
Does this reheat well? I love making quinoa dishes and eating them all week at work, but wasn’t sure if a quinoa casserole would hold up. Also, in the directions it doesn’t say to stir cheese into the roux but that’s what the pictures show??
I’m not entirely show how this reheats as there were no leftovers to reheat! As for the cheese, it actually is indicated in the instructions:
Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in quinoa, broccoli, chicken, 1 cup cheese and Greek yogurt; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Hi! Thank you for posting this! It looks really yummy! I would like to make it tomorrow night, but was wondering if I could either substitute light sour cream for the greek yogurt or just leave the greek yogurt out altogether…Thanks!
Light sour cream should work just fine.
I actually left out the Greek yogurt in error and it came out just fine. I also added a few slice mushrooms and did a 50/50 split between broccoli & cauliflower. My 2 guys thought it was excellent.
I didn’t see the nutritional value listed….calories, etc?????
Cathy, as of right now, nutritional information is provided for select and new recipes. However, if it is not available, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Enjoyed this recipe very much. Nice and cheesy. I cooked the quinoa in vegetable broth for more flavour and would probably cook a little less than the recipe calls for. Might try with a little dijon added for a different flavour next time. Overall very pleased and would recommend this recipe.
I made this meal for my family tonight. It was super easy and my husband and kids LOVED IT!
Thanks for sharing!
I followed it to a T. I don’t think my milk mixture turned out right. I’ve never made a roux (?). I also didn’t melt the cheese into the mixture first. It’s pretty soupy though. My husband and I still ate it. He said he can’t wait for it to tried again. Maybe the picture does make it look a bit thicker than it may. I’m hoping with it sitting out that it will thicken up. Having to eat it with a spoon. Like I said though, we can’t wait until we try it again. Thank you for the reply.
If the roux is not made properly, then yes, it will certainly become soupy! And eating it with a spoon is definitely the way to go for this one 🙂
Turned out like broccoli, quinoa, chicken soup. =(
Steph, I’m sorry that this didn’t turn out for you but it seems like you had too much liquid in your recipe. Did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
Also, I’m not entirely sure what kind of texture you were expecting but this is not meant to be as thick as say, an alfredo sauce.
I hope that helps!
This looks amazing!
I tried to make this tonight and it was a total BUST! I’ve never made anything like this as I’m pretty new to cooking. I didn’t see it the directions that you have to melt the cheese in the milk mixture (that did not thicken at all) before adding in all the other ingredients. I guess I should have looked more at the pictures than the recipe.
Guess i’ll try again when I get more chicken. Totally disappointed in how it turned out as I have really been looking forward to making this since I found it.
I made this last night and my family loved it. It’s pretty funny to read all the comments….I found it delicious as is. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I in turn shared your blog link with my friends.
Could I just omit the chicken and have it still turn out or would the other ingredients have to be adjusted? I would like to make it as a side dish…
Jen, you may have to reduce the amount of the other ingredients to compensate for the absence of the chicken.
Could you assemble this and then stick it in the fridge for a few hours before baking? I was hoping to make it for company but don’t want to be doing all the hard work while they are here!
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried assembling this beforehand myself. Please use your best judgment.
im thinking of making this in muffin tins and freezing them individually after they’re cooked. I was wondering that’s doable? Thanks
That sounds like an amazing idea but I honestly cannot say for certain if this will work or not since I have not tried it myself. I recommend using your best judgement to convert this recipe to be made into muffins and freezing appropriately.
Made this tonight and even my fussy eaters loved it. Only downside was that there were no left-overs for my lunch tomorrow. Will definitely make it again. Thanks.
We made this last night and it was so so goood! Thank you! My husband said, instantly to the top of his favorites! ! Even above my shepherds pie!!! #♡thisrecipe!
Hello, made this yesterday and it was very good! Hubby says the leftovers are even better today. That said, my butter and flour took longer than one minute to brown and the roux took longer than three/four minutes to thicken. Very good and simple recipe, but times listed are a little short.
I’m so glad you tried this out! As for the roux, it usually takes me as short as 2 minutes to thicken so I worry that your heat source may not be high enough. All in all, I am happy that the recipe worked out for you!
I made the recipe exactly as posted and the only negative I found was that I couldn’t stop eating in once I removed it from the oven. So addictive I just kept going back for more. I googled the recipe and your site pop up along with others. I opted to make yours because it is full of healthy ingredients unlike the many others that contained processed ingredients. You are my new fave. Can’t wait to see what other delish meals I will learn from your site. Thank you.
sandra in toronto
Made this to broaden the horizon of the grains, instead of rice or pasta. I used half and half and sour cream because those were the ingredients I had. Delicious probably one of the best casserole dishes made yet.
I actually tried some of your recipes and let me tell you they are delicious, I’m sure you already know that.
I made this last night and everyone loved it! I made some alterations based on other reviews: (a) cooked the chicken with a few garlic cloves; (b) sauteed half a diced onion until brown and added that to the mix; (c) added about 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper; (d) used chicken broth to cook the quinoa; and (e) substituted half of the milk with organic fat-free milk. This was really delicious and a definite keeper. However, I think it took a lot more than 30 minutes from start to finish!
Valerie, I’m so glad you tried this recipe! As for the timing of the recipe – it’s helpful to prep/cook while the quinoa is cooking. It’s a huge time-saver!
Starla mentioned that she calculated this dish to be about 305 calories. Not many calories for something this good. I think I will try it tonight. I have just discovered Quinoa and I really like it. Thanks Chungha.
Helloo, new way to eat broccoli! Bury it in healthy quinoa and cheese. I might even make a special trip to the grocery store just for broccoli, unheard of! Thanks for sharing!
Deeeee-licous!! I LOVE Quinoa! Needed some more ideas! Seems like you got quite a few on your page! This was the first one I tried. YUM!!! LOVE healthy meals that actually don’t taste healthy, lol. Thanks!! <3 <3
Oh my this was AMAZING! Used 1% milk and all natural sour cream since it’s what I had! unfortunately only had lightly salted butter so I omitted any added salt. Seasoned my chicken with poultry seasoning, black and red pepper. Added in some Romano/asiago/Parmesan shredded cheese I needed to use along with the cheddar and this was divine! Thanks for the start of it! SUPER easy and was my first attempt with quinoa and I’m sitting here eating leftovers loving it even more!! THANK YOU!!
I just made this for dinner and it is delish! Even my picky daughter loves it and she loves nothing that doesn’t end with the word burger! I did make a few adjustment though which was I seasoned my chicken with garlic powder and onion powder and I also seasoned my roux the same way. I also only used half the milk (we are not big milk drinkers in my house) and exchanged the other half of the liquid with chicken broth. I will definitly be adding this to my dinner menu! I also have leftovers, so I have a healthy lunch tomorrow! 🙂
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This was so delicious! I have made at least 7 of your recipes in the last 9 days and I can’t wait to make more! You make our bellies so happy! Thank you for sharing!
I made this tonight and it was yummy! I skipped the panko topping and used olive oil to make my rue instead of the butter. I will definitely make this again.
I am just wondering how well you think this would freeze? I am going to try this tomorrow night, but am 37 weeks pregnant and trying to double recipes and have a supply of freezer meals for when the baby comes!
Unfortunately, due to the amount of liquid in this dish, I do not recommend freezing this.
while i’m typing this comment i eat your lovely casserole. i love iz@
greetings from germany / north sea / lower saxony, inka
Tried it tonight and I was nervous that maybe it would be too bland, so I made another casserole using Brussel sprouts, carrots and red onions. Mixing sea salt.pepper and olive oil and baking it for 40 minutes ( turning it once) it was a great compliment to the quinoa dish.
My husband loved both casseroles and is looking forward to both left overs tomorrow.
I love trying new recipes. So much fun!
I’ve recently been trying recipes that incorporate quinoa, and some haven’t been good enough to add to my favorite recipes collection. However, my entire family loved this dish, which is RARE! The only change I made was adding the juice from one small lemon. I will most definitely be preparing this again and again. I’m looking forward to trying some of the other recipes on this site. Thanks so much for sharing these awesome recipes!
Do you know about how many cups of broccoli we’re supposed to have? Heads of broccoli vary so much that and want to make sure that I have enough! Thanks!
Stacey, there’s about 3 1/2 cups broccoli florets in a broccoli head.
Is the casserole supposed to be extremely soupy? I followed all the directions and ended up with something less casserole and more thick soup. I am cooking longer at a higher temperature to get things to solidify a bit but so far no luck. It’s too bad, it looked good in theory.
Marisa, it is not supposed to be “soupy” at all. I recommend whisking the milk constantly to make sure it thickens up. This step is crucial to avoid a liquid texture.
Tried this out but modified it to be vegetarian…I sautéed sliced tempeh in a little olive oil, and seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper…then cubed that to add with the broccoli. So good!
Using the “Loose it” app it calculates out to 351 calories per serving. You can knock it down pretty easily by taking out the Roux (butter flour sauce) and olive oil. Instead I used Pam in the pan and lightly floured the chicken, after cooking the chicken added the milk to what is remaining in the pan and only one cup. I also supplemented a fat free chicken stock instead of water to give it more flavor. Spraying the Pam on the Panko also crisped it up enough. It was then only 274 calories and no cheese sacrificing!
I just made this and it is delicious! My fussy two year old will definitely love it, meaning we can all eat the same healthy meal! This will definitely become a staple meal in our household. (BTW, next time I’ll try adding some dijon & cooking the quinoa in broth for a change up… great tips!)
Saw this on Pinterest and immediately made it for dinner. I added shallots to the butter, a tasty mustard to the sauce and substituted chicken for Canadian bacon. Very, very good! Thank you!
This is fabulous–nicely balanced and satisfying. However I did make a couple procedural changes that I think improve flavor and efficiency. Cook the chicken first in your pan so that you get all those lovely pan juices, then toast the panko in that and even start your broccolli in there too. (Mine did not steam quite enough in the quinoa pot, though it’s probably more because I didn’t cut it up small enough). Also next time I won’t decant the whole shebang into a 9×12 pan-I don’t really see the need since it’s only in the oven for 5 mins. Just mix everything into your quinoa and broccolli dutch oven and pop that sucker in to melt the cheese. My husband requested that this be put into regular rotation. Gonna see how our 10 month old feels about it tonight, I have a feeling he will approve!
LOVED THIS!! My 3 year old gobbled it up too. I cooked my quinoa in chicken broth to give it more flavor.This is my new favorite quinoa recipe! Thank you.
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Hi, I tried making your quinoa casserole and it turned out super tasty! The toasted panko on top was a really brilliant and tasty idea too!
I made this last night, and it was a hit. I did add some onions, garlic, and dry mustard to the sauce to add some seasoning. Thinking about a touch of cayenne for next time (and there will definitely be a next time).
My husband is a quinoa hater, too, but I love the idea of doing quinoa in this instead of rice! I have a feeling he won’t mind once he tastes it.
This sounds amazing!! I don’t eat meat so I am now in search of a way to make it without chicken!
Oh my goodness what an awesome dish! It was a huge hit at our house and this was my first time feeding hubby quinoa. Thank you for posting this recipe. I did add a bit of garlic and cumin to spice it up but otherwise I followed the recipe.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Even my little picky eaters loved it. I did have to add a little more salt but other than that it was really good. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this last night and we really enjoyed it. It is a bit blander than we’re used to so I will be adding something next time – maybe dijon as suggested above. My mom makes a similar dish without quinoa that has curry powder in it. I’m sure that would be amazing in this.
I make this all the time, I love it. I used cauliflower tonight and it was good with that too. Thanks for the great recipe!
I definitely need to try cauliflower myself – sounds amazing!
Hello. I was wondering if anyone has tried making this ahead and warming later. I have to cook for a babysitter each week and I’m always looking for recipes I can make ahead of time. It would be refrigerated overnight. Advice on temp, warming time? Thanks!
Just made this tonight. It was wonderful! I cut the chicken into bite size pieces and then cooked them. It worked out well. Other than that, I followed the recipe. Thank you
Well, this was damn delicious. I just made it for dinner and will definitely be making it again soon. It tastes just as amazing as it looks from your photos. I followed your recipe almost exactly. Thanks!
btw, I just bought some red quinoa…never used it before…does it taste different? Would it look gross?
I personally like to use red quinoa for salads – it makes them so much more vibrant and more fun to eat. As for taste, I’ve honestly haven’t really noticed a difference between the two.
I was confused here too. So the cooked pinko is set aside to add at the end?
That’s exactly right. It’s simply used as a crunchy topping.
I use a mix of red and white quinoato make this. I don’t notice a difference in taste vs when I make this with only white quinoa!
This reminds me of my recipe for chicken, broccoli, and ziti. I read all the comments and it sounds like it could use a little more flavor. I slice several cloves of garlic as thinly as possible and cook with the chicken. I also use some Parmesan cheese (of course, the cheese takes away from the total health goal, but the quinoa instead of pasta cancels it out, right??), and toss in a bit of crushed red pepper at the end. I will definitely try this…thanks for sharing. Your little Butters is the most adorable!!
This is amazing! Before I made the cheese sauce, I sauteed a mix of onions, mushroom, spinach, and garlic seasoned with paprika and cayenne. I substituted this for the broccoli, as it’s what I had on hand. The mushrooms added nice earthiness and made it a little more grown up. The end product is out of control good! I also added some aged Parmesan. The more cheese the better in my book! This is some delicious comfort food, not totally guilt free, but worth it.
It works well with minced chicken as well. Hearty and Healthy.
This was delicious! I got distracted and forgot to add the greek yogurt, but it was still amazing. I will be sure to add it next time though as I think it would add a zing.
My 20 month old is asking for the chicken and brocoli by name she loves this so much! I can’t wait to make it again and add some cauliflower garlic onion – so good!!
Made this tonight, it was delicious! I cooked the quinoa in chicken broth for extra flavour. Next time I’ll add extra broccoli. Great recipe, thanks!
Your website is amazing. I love all the fresh, colorful recipes. They all look delicious. Love Love Love them all~
Just wondering what to do with the panko? It says to set aside and then it doesn’t say where to add them. I put them on the top with the cheese before I out it in the oven.
Patti, the addition of Panko is directed in the last line of the instructions – right before serving.
HI! This was sent to me by a friend who knows how much I love quinoa. It looks awesome! BUT, I’m on a pretty specific caloric intake right now — could you post the nutritional info if you have it? Thanks 🙂
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information of my recipes. Please use online resources to obtain such information.
Great dish … the whole family loved it. I too am curious about the nutritional information. It’s tough to use online resources in such combinations. We wouldn’t hold you responsible! LOL
By combining all ingredients and dividing, I’m guessing around 375 calories.
Made this last night, it was good but will make some changes the next time such as add more seasoning, someone suggested Dijon mustard, definitely garlic and onion. Used almond milk and hubs couldn’t taste it but I could, will try skim milk instead to see if I notice the difference. Also will double the amount of broccoli and cook the quinoa in broth to up the flavor quotient. It certainly has enough health benefits and good readily available ingredients to make again. Thanks for sharing!
I agree that it needs a couple tweaks. I am really a novice with cooking (and this was my first time making quinoa) and I was aiming for just more than half the recipe – but I kept the full amount of broccoli, yogurt, and cheese. I added dried minced onion and garlic powder to the chicken while it was cooking (which I had already cut into small strips for faster cooking because I’m paranoid). Also, was I the only one that had ZERO success cooking the broccoli with the quinoa? By 10 minutes in (as the quinoa said 15 minutes and the recipe said broccoli for the last 5), the water was mostly absorbed and the broccoli just sat on top doing nothing. I left it on a few minutes longer with a bit more water and still nothing – even cool to the touch. Ended up scraping the broccoli into a Pyrex bowl with a bit of water to steam in the microwave for a few minutes.
Otherwise my tweaks were really minor – used a little bag of 3 cheddar blend (I believe it said sharp, mild, and fontina?) and got the garlic Panko. I was a bit skeptical of the quinoa thing, the broccoli issue, and the milk taking forever to thicken with that little flour (I added a good pinch more), as well as my lack of skills with cooking chicken, but it turned out pretty tasty. My roommates enjoyed the smell and the tasting as well! Good comfort food and it’s nice knowing my just-about-gluten-free friend can enjoy it and just tolerate the bit of flour and Panko.
Again, I’m a novice with cooking but dang, this took me like 2 hours including cutting fat off the chicken (I used skinless, boneless chicken thighs). A bit long after a day of work; in the future I’d do this on the weekend.
Lastly – there is a whole step for toasting/goldening the Panko in a pan and then all it says for adding is ‘SPRINKLE ON TOP IF DESIRED’?? This was rather disappointing. I think noting it as optional from the get-go would have been helpful. I definitely sprinkled it all on the top before baking after taking the time to toast it up in the skillet but it took me several minutes of panic and triple checking to make sure I wasn’t missing something since it never clearly said to add. So, that could be clearer and if you put it on before baking, I personally don’t see the need to pre-cook it? Then again, this was also my first time actually cooking with Panko personally. Or making a casserole.
Anyway, these are the notes of someone who is NOT an expert in the kitchen, for all you who see this recipe as an opportunity to get your feet wet!
About the broccoli not cooking–did you finely chop it, like the recipe calls for? I could see bite-sized florets not cooking if just put on top of the quinoa in the last five minutes. Mine were chopped into pieces about 1/4″ and it worked, but there was hardly any room–next time I’ll use the “large saucepan” like it says!
I, too, am taking issue with the prep time and total time for this recipe! It took wWAY over an hour.
Yummy! I made this tonight, with pan-roasted cauliflower and pine nuts (served the chicken on the side). I subbed half-and-half and sour cream because that’s what I had on hand. Very good! Added some thyme, onion powder and garlic powder too. Thanks for the idea of how to use quinoa.
Oh my, this casserole looks so satisfying and tasty 🙂 I can’t wait to make this!
Can I use flax meal in place of panko? I don’t want to make a special trip to the natural market for healthier bread crumbs that don’t have soybean oil and corn syrup. Please reply ASAP as I plan to make this tomorrow morning while my baby is napping. I already have the other ingredients on hand. Thank you. It looks delicious!
Julie, I recommend using the specified ingredients listed in the recipe whenever possible for optimal results. I understand that you may have dietary restrictions or simply do not have the ingredient on hand, but please remember that by using a substitution, I cannot speak for how much this will change in the overall taste or texture of the dish.
This can be transformed into a safe gluten free dish simply by eliminating the panko [or breadcrumbs] from the recipe. Quinoa is on the approved list for anyone with celiac or non-celiac GF sensitivity. I’ll have to try the wheat free version of it myself. Typically I make alot of this but using rice, I’ve not cooked with quinoa.
I’m assuming you stir in the chicken to the brocoli and cheese mixture? After you set aside the cooked chicken, it doesn’t say what to do with it. I’ll see how it turns out!
Yes! Thank you for letting me know – I just updated the recipe.
sounds great till you get to the panko which is not gluten free, could you sub gf bread crumbs?
Yes, absolutely.
I am anxious to make this….we spend our winter’s in Cabo…so enjoy!!! There is no better place.
Love it. I will add a few herbs for taste and I found this small bag of mixed – Swiss chard, kale, spinach. Gonna chop this and add as well. Yum yum
The veges my husband hates but will love in this recipie. Thanks
Making this tonight !!!!
Such a beautiful and sacrifice-free update on the classic! I will be in Italy in a swimsuit by the end of May! I really need to get going on that “get-in-shape” thing!
recipe looks great…have never cooked with quinoa, but you’ve gotta start somewhere. Just wondering if you can sub regular breadcrumbs for Panko? I make my own bread…
Yes, absolutely. After all, nothing beats homemade!
I just made this and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Quinoa and Kale are ‘in’ ingredients this season. But it’s nice to see my ol’ friend Mr. Broccoli
featured. I have yet to cook with quinoa, but boy howdy I have been eating a fair amount
of it the past year. I must say it’s been a pleasure, particularly as used in some wonderful salads. I love the change of pace. If I make this, I will really be in the fast lane of the cookig world. Ha!
I love finding new quinoa recipes, Chung-Ah! And this cheesy casserole fits the bill for when I’m craving comfort food. You two will have a blast in Cabo!
I’m always up for a new way to enjoy quinoa – looks so good!
This is SO good!! I substituted the chicken for seitan, since I’m a vegetarian, and it turned out amazing!
I made this yesterday and its delicious. I substituted greek yogurt for sour cream, skim milk for whole milk and light mexican blend cheese for the full fat cheddar. I think it could definitely use some seasoning but other then that it’s really good!
Oh my, this is divine! Speaking of cheese I have been buying ricotta and mozerrlla because it’s low in calories, but it does still have fat content? I was itching for dessert and fruit wasn’t going to cut it this time, I added honey, lemon juice and mixed it with ricotta it came pretty close to having a slice of real cheesecake! Sorry I went off on tangent there…
As soon as I saw this I knew I had to make it for dinner. IT IS AMAZING!!! I loved it, and now I have dinner for the entire weekend which is amazing!!! Great flavor, great cheesiness! THis reminded me a lot of mac and cheese, which is something I missed since I starting eating better! Thanks for the recipe!
BTW… cook the quinoa in veggie or chicken broth! It adds more flavor than just cooking it with water!
This looks great! I’m going to try to make it even healthier by substituting nutritional yeast for the panko and plain greek yogurt for the sour cream.
I just made this tonight with Greek yogurts I didn’t see in the recipe that it even called for sour cream but I did use the panko and I used whole milk and extra cheese. I counted the full cals of the recipe and divided that number by 8 since it’s 8 servings. It came out to only 305 cals per serving with my ingredients, would be even less with 2% milk and no extra cheese. Really don’t think it’s necessary unless you’re watching get the carbs very closely to substitute the panko. Even with panko, along with all my meals today I stayed under 125 for carbs we are talking 6 meals really very healthy casserole.
Love the idea of healthy comfort food!
Sounds delicious! I might try this in the coming week.
This is like quinoa gone wild! genius! All I want to do is dive into the screen and start eating 😀
My Lynn has a cold, and she was in the mood for something gentle, and I did this up for her tonite and she loved it!
Put in a tbls Dijon to give it a bit of zip. I fried the chicken as cubes too, in butter, iver pretty high heat. Lynn thinks I could have chopped up a jalepeno and tossed it up and in too
But it is really good!!
over, not iver
Amazing comfort food!
Oh. My. Word. This is cheesy, melty perfection!
Loving the quinoa switch up!!
Best use EVER of quinoa! And boy, this is sure nothing like the blah whatever broccoli casserole I grew up with! Broccoli casserole will never be the same 🙂
This sounds delicious! I have tried making a couple of “cheesy” quinoa casseroles that were flavorless but THIS sounds amazing! Must make =)