Description
This chicken quinoa casserole is so comforting without all of the guilt. It is loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and cheese for big Italian flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 dash Olive Oil
- 1 whole Onion, Diced Small
- 1 jar (8 1/2 Oz. Size) Sun-dried Tomatoes, Drained And Chopped Small
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tender, Diced Small
- 1 pinch Salt, Plus Additional As Needed
- ½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper
- 6 Tablespoons Butter
- 6 Tablespoons Flour
- 3 cups Milk
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
- 1 cup Quinoa
- ½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup Baby Spinach, Packed
- 4 ounces, weight Fontina Cheese, Freshly Grated
Preparation
Get out a large skillet with deep sides and heat the olive oil in it over medium high heat. Let the onion, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic get fragrant and soft in it for a minute, then add the diced chicken in. Let the chicken cook through and lightly brown for about 3–4 minutes. While it does season it with the salt, dried oregano and crushed red pepper. Once the chicken is cooked, remove everything to a plate and set it aside to start on the béchamel sauce in the same pan.
Add the butter and flour to the pan and whisk them together until they become a thick, golden paste. Slowly pour in the milk while you keep whisking to bring the sauce together. Season it with another pinch of salt. Let the béchamel gently simmer for 10-15 minutes to cook through and thicken. While it cooks, prepare the quinoa. Bring the chicken stock to a low boil in a small pot, then add in the quinoa. Give it a quick stir, then cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Let the quinoa gently cook for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. When the béchamel is done, return the chicken and veggies to the pan and stir them in along with the spinach and parmesan. The spinach will wilt right in and the parmesan cheese will melt gorgeously. Take the pan off of the heat and stir in the cooked quinoa thoroughly. Spread the mixture into an even layer in the prepared pan and sprinkle the grated fontina on top. Let it bake for 15 minutes to melt the cheese and let it all meld together. Then take it out and serve immediately! Enjoy!
