How to make cheesy chicken broccoli and quinoa casserole

Kate Elliott

Contributing Writer

Are you on a healthy, low-carb, low-sugar diet but you're still craving those comfort casseroles? It can seem like there's no hope. That you're never going to have a rich, delicious dish filled with creamy goodness again. But, that's actually not the case. As the recipe that follows shows, you can have all that goodness and all that cheesiness, without feeling any guilt at all.

The secret lies in quinoa. The beautiful thing about quinoa is that it feels like a grain, and it acts like a grain, but it's actually a protein. That's right. Quinoa isn't a grain at all, but actually a seed. A seed that's chock-full of protein. So when you add it to this dish, that already has lots of protein and tons of cheesy goodness, you're really just upping your health game, not going against it.

Cooktop Cove

How to Make Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole

5 minutes

1 hour, 30 minutes

1 hour, 35 minutes

1 cup dry quinoa

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish.

Cook quinoa according to package directions. When done, fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a large frying pan set over medium heat, heat olive oil. When hot, add chicken pieces and cook for about 10 minutes, until no longer pink.

When chicken is browned, add the broccoli florets, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, melt butte over medium heat. When melted, add flour and whisk until incorporated. Let flour cook out for 2 minutes.

Slowly add milk to flour and butter mixture, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps. After milk has been entirely added, continue heating for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

In a large bowl add quinoa, chicken and broccoli mixture, and milk mixture. Add half of mozzarella and sour cream and mix well.

Pour chicken mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover casserole dish with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove foil from casserole and cook for another 20 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbling.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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