Quinoa Fiesta Casserole

I must admit it is hard to make (somewhat) vegetarian meals with a meat and potatoes loving son in my house. And I’m pretty sure I cannot give up chicken. But in my efforts to try to eat healthier, I decided to give quinoa a try. Yes, I know I am late to the quinoa party and there is probably some other grain that is more popular now.

This casserole came out pretty tasty and I didn’t miss having any meat in it, well not too much. And I know, it’s not truly a vegetarian dish since I used cheese in it. But will you give me a pass on this? This would make a great Meatless Monday meal for those of you that participate in that.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
• 1 cup corn kernels (I used defrosted frozen ones, but you can use canned or fresh)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (10 ounce) can Ro*Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half
• 1 avocado, diced for garnish
• 1 Roma tomato, diced for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
2. Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water according to package directions. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, onion, bell pepper, 2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, black beans, sliced olives, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, can of Ro*Tel, and 1/2 cup of both cheeses. Reserve the other 1/2 cup of cheeses for top.
4. Add quinoa mixture to prepared baking dish. Smooth out into even an even layer.
5. Add enchilada sauce to cover the quinoa mixture.
6. Add the other half cup of cheddar and mozzarella cheese to the top of casserole.
7. Cover casserole with foil. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
8. Uncover casserole and garnish with avocado, reserved cilantro and tomatoes.

 

Don’t let the cheesy goodness fool you. There’s healthy stuff hidden under the cheese layer!

 

 

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