quinoa broccoli casserole

So of course the day I decide to make casserole it hits 90 degrees.

Um, what?

I mean, it’s been warm here for a few months.  But 90?  Already?

Not to worry because this is one of those summer dishes that is worth turning your oven on for.  It’s a casserole that tastes like summer.  Don’t ask me why or how but it does.

Delicious local tomatoes?  Don’t mind if I do.

This recipe came about after seeing a headline for a broccoli casserole recipe on the Food Network’s website.  Although typically delicious dish, it’s also typically swimming in cheese.  Good for once in awhile but not every week. 

This meal is good for every week.  I still used a generous amount of cheese leaving this dish creamy but not greasy.  I added 1 egg with the cheese, which also adds to the creaminess.  This is packed with a million and one other ingredients, topped with sliced tomatoes, and then broiled with a breadcrumb + cheese mixture on top.  Quinoa was used as the base of the casserole which stays extremely moist, takes on other flavors easily, and is quite the nutrient dense little seed.

[after baking – before adding the topping] 

I cannot remember the last time I made a casserole and now I’m wondering why in the world that is.

You have leftovers for days!!  This will be eaten cold straight out of the fridge, re-heated in a pan with an egg on top, and dumped cold onto a huge bowl of leafy greens and drizzled with balsamic.

I know not everyone is a leftovers fan but anything that means less clean-up and no prep totally works for me!

Print this!

Quinoa Broccoli Casserole [serves 6-8 generous portions]

• 2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed well
• 4 cups veggie stock, no-sodium
• 5 cups broccoli, chopped
• 3 cups spinach, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 1.5 cups chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 large egg
• 1, 8oz block of sharp cheddar or pepperjack cheese, grated
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4c flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes [opt]
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt [adjust if using stock with sodium]
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Breadcrumb Topping

• 4 slices of gluten free bread or 2 slices non-gf bread, ground
• 1/2 cup grated cheese [from the 8oz block above]
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• black pepper

1. Prep all vegetables and then preheat your oven to 400* F.
2. Rinse + drain the quinoa and add to large pot over medium heat, then pour in the veggie stock and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, stir 1-2 times, cover with a lid and let cook 15-20min until the liquid is absorbed.  Turn the heat off and keep covered for 10min then fluff with a fork.  Do not stir or uncover while it’s cooking.
4. While the quinoa is cooking, toss 2 Tbsp of oil with the broccoli, chickpeas, onion, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and black pepper on a large baking sheet.
5. Roast for about 25min until just starting to brown.  Stir once halfway through.
6. In a large bowl mix together the roasted veggie mixture, fluffed quinoa, spinach, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes [if using], 1/2t salt [if using no-sodium stock] and black pepper.
7. In a small bowl whisk the egg and mix in the grated cheese, reserving 1/2 cup of the cheese for the breadcrumb topping.  *Grating cheese fresh is worth your time!
8. Mix the cheese + egg mixture with the quinoa mixture and spread in a 9x13 baking dish, then lightly pat down and top with a single layer of sliced tomatoes.
9. Bake uncovered for 25-30min, until the top is starting to brown and tomatoes are just wilting.
10. For the breadcrumb topping, make sure your GF bread is fully thawed.  If it’s frozen, toast lightly to defrost.  Grind into crumbs in a food processor, blender, etc. then mix with all remaining topping ingredients in a bowl.
11. Set your oven to broil with a rack in the top position, sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the casserole, and broil for 2-4 minutes [watching closely!] until golden brown.
12. Remove and serve.

 

Don’t let the long ingredient list and instructions intimidate you.  There is nothing tricky about this recipe and just think about all of the leftovers!  Unless you’re planning to serve this for a crowd.  Then don’t think about the leftovers or the dirty dishes you’ll be cleaning.  I’m keeping this one all to myself!  Okay…I did invite Kelsey + Eric to dinner and Chris of course ate too.  He’ll have this for lunch tomorrow, and I will still have 3 servings of leftovers all to myself.  Ohhh yes.

Ashley

Comments

[Kelsey]

I totally plan on eating this for breakfast tomorrow- sooooo good!!

[Sam @ Fit for my Fork]

This is filled with so many things I absolutely love. I'll be pinning it for later!


Ashley--> Enjoy!

[Sara @my less serious life]

this looks wonderful. i just made quinoa mac and cheese this past weekend and adored the way the taste and texture of the quinoa when baked. and the leftovers are currently rocking my world. i envision this would be similar. thanks!


Ashley--> Whoa. That sounds awesome!

[Amanda]

This looks absolutely amazing! I just picked up some local tomatoes from the farm stand yesterday and now I know exactly how I want to use them. You're so right about casseroles- great for leftovers. I have found that in our two person household one casserole can last 3-4 days. Yeah for leftovers!


Ashley--> Yes! I love it!

[Katie @KatieDid]

When tomatoes get to be in season I easily eat a huge one plain in one sitting. The rest of the year I despise them! These look so fresh... are you growing tomatoes in your garden too?


Ashley--> I used to hate tomatoes! Now I can eat them with just a sprinkle of salt. We're going to plant a few tomato plants for sure but haven't yet.

[Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar]

Love this! It's so healthy and tasty looking!

[Catalina @ Cake with Love]

Love all the colors, such an easy and healthy dish!

[Kelly @ No Sugar Sweet Life]

Wow - this looks healthy AND decadent!! Those tomatoes are BEAUTIFUL!!! I can't wait for my tomatoes to ripen in the garden!


Ashley--> The tomatoes I got must be locally grown in a greenhouse, because they're not truly in season here until about July!

[Leah]

This looks brilliant! I have a soft spot for foods in casserole form, I can't wait to give this one a go!

[cassie]

Love this, Ashley. My kind of casserole. Great idea!

[Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables]

love this recipe Ashley! I'm a big leftover love so this one is for me :)

[Cait's Plate]

Yum! I just roasted up some broccoli for lunch but just ate it like that - this is WAY better!

[Ami@dashofcurry.com]

This looks delicious-- and easily veganizable too! You pretty much combined all of my favorite foods (quinoa, broccoli and cheese (for me a vegan version) in one dish! Yum!


Ashley--> So glad it will work for you!

[RachelSD]

Oh my goodness, I'm going to be all over this casserole like white on rice. Thank you!!!

[Kerry]

This looks delicious! It's filled with so many foods I love (quinoa, broccoli, spinach, and chickpeas). Recipes that make enough for leftovers are the best! I can't wait to try it with a runny egg for lunch the next day.


Ashley--> I cannot even tell you how delicious the leftovers were cooked in a pan and finished with 2 eggs!!!

[Lauren]

Yeah, it's like 105 here in Tucson! Blah! This looks great, btw...loooooooove quinoa!


Ashley--> Dang, that is HOT!

[Michelle]

This looks amazing! Instantly wanted to make it tonight. I've been looking for a Quinoa Casserole that was healthy for a while. Thanks!
Michelle - Holistic Health Coach www.m-liveloudly.blogspot.com


Ashley--> Hope you love it!

[Brittany]

oh my goodness! One of my favorite dishes growing up was broccoli casserole. This just brought back such good memories. I need to show this to my mom so she can make a healthy version. :)

[Lindsey (Cafe Johnsonia)]

Going on my list of things to make next week. Looks fantastic!

[Heather Eats Almond Butter]

Yum, yum, and yum. Will you please come over and make this for me? I'll pay for your flight. :)


Ashley--> Heck yes! I'm a really good babysitter too! ;)

[Erica Julson]

oh wow, this looks so good. I love that you added the refreshing tomato on top. I'm seriously making this this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!


Ashley--> You're welcome! Enjoy!

[Michele]

So very tasty. I made this a few nights ago and it came out with way more portions then I expected. I had a 9x13 and an 8x10 pan filled. Glad it came out so good because the hubby and I will be eating it for at least a week. Thanks for the recipe.


Ashley--> Wow, that's crazy! Mine fit in the 9x13 and we were done with it in about 7-8 servings. Glad it will keep you going for the week!

[alannah]

Hi Ashley,
I just made your Quinoa Broccoli Casserole tonight... and it is amazing! Definitely a new favourite dish. I also made your Lemon Dill Pasta Salad last week, and it was also delicious. Epigenetics & organic chem will have nothing on me this week with the leftovers from this casserole as brain fuel :)
Thanks for all the amazing recipes!


Ashley--> Yay! I'm glad you're all stocked up! You're so welcome. :)

[Lauren]

Update: I made this this weekend, and it is delicious! The only change I made was to double the egg amount. I will definitely be making it again in the near future. Thank you!


Ashley--> Awesome! So glad to hear!

[Hannah]

This is in the oven now :) My husband and I have been going paleo for a while now, and have recently started to have meat meals 2x a week and vegetarian the rest. Your website has been invaluable for us, thank you!!!!


Ashley--> Wow, that means so much! And I really wish I had that casserole in MY oven right now! :) ?Have a great week.

[H]

This was by far the most complicated dish I have attempted (and my first time trying quinoa - loved it!) and it turned out great!! I can't wait to make it again. The only thing was that mine turned out a little bit dry and crumbly.. not creamy like yours. I didn't even add the bread crumb topping.. What could I do differently next time?


Ashley--> I'm so glad you gave it a try!! Strange that it was dry and crumbly, though. My quinoa was very moist and creamy after cooking on the stove [before adding the other ingredients]. Did yours seem dried out at that point? The quinoa may have been cooked too long. Did you add the egg and cheese? Sorry it turned out dry! It's definitely a crumbly dish though..not meant to hold together. :)

[Wendy]

This was AMAZING!! We made it tonight for dinner, and my husband, daughter and I all loved it. I've already shared the recipe with several friends. I will make this one often! Thanks for posting :).


Ashley--> So so so happy to hear!!

[RachelSD]

I commented before about how good this looks, but I've now made it TWICE since then. Wow. My picky husband, my vegetarian sister-in-law, and I have been gobbling this up. Even better the next morning with two runny eggs, like you said. This is definitely going in the rotation, and the great thing is we usually have this ingredients on hand. Thank you!!


Ashley--> Thank you so much for letting me know! I am so happy to hear the whole family loved it. :) I am craving the leftovers!

[Eva]

I made this last night and it was so good! I used gouda and cannelini beans instead of chickpeas just based on what I had in the pantry but still, so GOOD! i'll tag you in an instagram photo when i heat up the leftovers for lunch today!

Thanks for the recipe!!

[caitlin @livelovenyc]

this looks amazing! i bet it does taste like summer. fresh tomatoes make everything better!

[Melissa]

wow, that looks great. I wonder if I could sneak chickpeas in there without picky Dan noticing?

[Erin]

this looks delicious!! any idea approximately how many calories this would be per serve??

[Lee]

I just made this last night and it was delicious! Even my non-quinoa liking husband liked it.

Ashley--> Haha, love it!!! Thanks for letting me know!

[Emily]

Absolutely delicious. I replaced the broccoli with kale, added some hungarian hot peppers and a yellow summer squash, and used two eggs instead of one for more 'bind'. All of these modifications worked well. What a great summer recipe, perfect to use all my CSA vegetables.

Ashley--> I love your adaptations!

[Yummo]

I tried this awesome recipe recently and it turned out great. I took others suggestions and used two eggs to help as a binding agent. I did find that it was a little dry, as most casseroles have some sauce to moisten them. Going forward, I think I will omit the chickpeas and instead add shredded zucchini and carrots (raw) to the casserole before baking to add moisture. Thanks!

[Ashley]

Yummo - Thanks so much for saying hello and for your comment. I like the addition of 2 eggs if you are looking for a casserole that holds together more. I really just added the 1 egg [and cheese] for moisture, not binding purposes. Sorry it was dry on your end for some reason! I've made it 3 times and haven't had any dryness problems. Although, it's definitely not saucy. :) I think it really depends on how long you cook your quinoa and how juicy your tomatoes are. The zucchini and carrots sound like a fun idea!

[Yummo]

Ashley - your recipe is awesome!! It was my first attempt at quinoa, so I might have unknowingly overcooked it. The dryness is probably the result of my poor cooking skills, but I will test out the shredded zucchini and carrot variety, simply because they are my favorite vegetables. (Also, I'm not a vegetarian, so I'm used to lasagna dripping in meat sauce).
I love the leftover suggestion of pairing with eggs. I'm also thinking of using a pesto sauce with quinoa in the future. Thanks again! Your fantastic recipe has my brain - a - thinking!

[Ashley]

Yummo - It does not sound like you have poor cooking skills!! Especially with the creative idea to throw carrots and zucchini into the mix! Quinoa can take a few tries to get the hang of and it really depends on preference as to how much moisture you want left in it. The pesto sauce sounds absolutely fantastic in this!! Maybe I'll make a second "saucy" version! Take care.

[Colleen]

Delicious recipe! I made this last night for my family of five as the main dish and we all really liked it. It is very adaptable. I know I should be using fresh vegetables, but I used frozen broccoli and spinach, as well as shredded cheese instead of grated, because I had them all on hand. My daughter suggested we add squash next time and my husband suggested adding an additional egg for binding also (he watched me mix the egg mixture into the recipe). Thanks so much for sharing!

[Ashley]

@Colleen - Thank you so much for the feedback. I'm so glad the whole family liked it. No worries on having to use frozen vegetables. While sometimes they don't taste quite as fresh, I've actually read that they can be slightly healthier for you than produce found in the grocery store. As soon as veggies are picked they start to lose their nutritional value right away. When veggies are frozen that process stops, while nutrients continue to be lost as fresh veggies travel to your grocery store. Just thought I would share that fun fact. :) Squash would be a great addition as would another egg or two if it are looking for a more "together" consistency.

[diane]

Is there a way to make this without chesse or any kind of "fake cheeses"
has anyone tried to make this cheese free? Thank You :-)

[Ashley]

@Diane - Sure thing! If you're okay eating eggs, I would use 3 eggs for extra binding and add 2-3 tablespoons milk for a little extra moisture [whisk them together when it says to mix the eggs + cheese together].

[Brittany]

Is there any way to make this without using eggs?

[Ashley]

@Brittany - Yes, I would whisk together 3 tablespoons of milk and 1/2 tablespoon of oil and then mix that with the grated cheese, then with the quinoa mixture. This recipe wasn't meant to be fully bind together, so without the egg it will work just fine, but just beware it won't hold together much at all. :)

[J]

I've made this recipe a few times now, it's absolutely delicious! thank you.