This Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole with potato chip topping is easy, cozy, and delicious! Perfect for a weeknight side or main dish.
Broccoli and cheese casserole a classic and delicious dish. Usually, it’s made with rice, but today I have a healthier version that’s made with Quinoa! Get ready for a comfy and cozy Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole that’s a simple side or main dish any weeknight!
This recipe comes together easily and gives the most amazing flavor. The quinoa is hearty, creamy, and flavorful, but also super healthy, loaded with fiber and protein! The broccoli brings color, vitamins, and texture. The cheese, well, it’s creamy and delicious! You can make this casserole entirely ahead and reheat any busy night! It’s a balanced meal on it’s own, but you can add chicken, meatballs, or any other easy meat that your family loves.
Jump to:
- Quinoa is Healthy, Delicious, and Versatile
- Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
- Simple Equipment for this Recipe
- Prep-Ahead Steps for Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
- Cooking Steps for Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
- Variations on Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
- Broccoli Quinoa Casserole FAQs
- Simple Weeknight Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Bake
- Comments
Quinoa is Healthy, Delicious, and Versatile
With a Certification in Nutrition and Healthy Living, I’m always looking for ways to add nutritious ingredients to recipes. Quinoa is a great side on it’s own or ingredient to bulk up other foods, such as stuffings. It can replace pasta or rice in most recipes and adds more protein and fiber.
It’s actually a seed, not a grain, but the texture is similar to a grain or even a couscous, but a little more fluffy. It has a mild, slightly nutty taste, but it’s mild, so it really absorbs any flavors you mix with it.
But the really magic of quinoa is in the health benefits! 1 cup of cooked quinoa has 8g of complete protein and 5g of fiber. It also has Iron, Manganese, Lysine, and magnesium!
Combining quinoa with veggies gives you a complete balanced meal with vitamins, fiber, protein, and other nutrients.
Try these other easy and delicious Quinoa Recipes!
- Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos
- Quinoa Crust Tomato Tart with Artichoke Hearts and Goat Cheese
- Sunny Quinoa with Fried Egg and Veggie Medley
- Mushroom Quinoa Risotto
Quick note! This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :). But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
- Quinoa, uncooked – For this recipe, I find that white quinoa works best. Red quinoa is not as soft and may take longer to cook and give you a more coarse texture. The quinoa is precooked before adding to the casserole, so shelf-stable precooked or leftover quinoa is perfect for this.
- Broccoli florets – Broccoli is a bright hearty veggie that works so well in this casserole. You can substitute or add to with other vegetables that you love. Butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, and mushrooms are all good options.
- Shredded Cheddar – I like to shred my own cheese to avoid fillers and stabilizers. But of course, you can buy pre-shredded cheese to save time. Monterey Jack cheese, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, or any other melting shredded cheese will work!
- Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Vegetable Broth – You can also use chicken broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
- Milk – Milk – I used 1% milk to add the creamy element to the sauce. Any milk will work, including non-dairy (unsweetened soy, almond, or coconut milk). If you want even creamier, you can add half and half or heavy cream. You can also eliminate the milk and replace it with water or chicken stock.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with cold water to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this soup. You don’t have to thicken the soup if you don’t have cornstarch. You can leave it as a thin broth.
- Oregano, dried – Oregano is such a perfect herb to add flavor and depth to this casserole. You can substitute dried Italian seasoning or dried marjoram or even dried rosemary or thyme.
- Optional Topping: Crushed potato chips – You can replace with breadcrumbs, fried onions, or parmesan cheese.
Simple Equipment for this Recipe
For this recipe, you need a medium pot with fitted lid for the quinoa, a medium pot for the sauce, and a large (5-6 quart) casserole dish.
Oh, and mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
Prep-Ahead Steps for Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)
This recipe starts with pre-cooking your quinoa. I do this because it makes the baking part foolproof! You will never have to worry if the quinoa is cooked fully in the oven because it was pretty much there when you added it. One of the benefits of quinoa is that it can absorb a lot and maintains its integrity.
While the quinoa cooks, you can prep the rest of the ingredients…cut off the broccoli florets (if not already done) and mince the garlic.
Ok, and here comes the somewhat strange ingredients. By the way, this is totally optional, but adds really fun delicious flavor.
Add POTATO CHIPS for texture!!
My Mom used to put crushed potato chips on top of casseroles and I just felt the urge to add it to this one. So, just toss some chips in a baggie and crush away to get them to small pieces. Or, leave them out if you want. They are not needed, so it’s your choice.
Cooking Steps for Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Cooking for this recipe starts on the stove and then moves to the oven.
On the stove, in a medium to large pot, add the vegetable broth and minced garlic. Bring to a simmer on Medium-High heat.
While it is heating, make your slurry by mixing the cornstarch into cold milk.
When the broth is simmering, whisk in the milk slurry. Continue to whisk as it starts to thicken so no clumps form on the bottom.
It’s thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a track when you run your finger along it.
Once thickened, whisk in the shredded cheese.
Stir until melted and smooth. Then turn off the heat.
To a casserole dish, Add the broccoli florets, cooked quinoa, cheese sauce, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to completely combine. Place in the preheated oven on center rack and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, add the crushed potato chips to the top of the casserole and place back in the oven for the final 5 minutes.
Then remove and let rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
Variations on Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
This Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Bake is easy to customize based on what your family loves or what you have in the fridge!
- Add chicken: Stir in cooked, diced or shredded chicken to make this a heartier, protein-packed dinner. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut!
- Switch up the cheese: Sharp cheddar gives this casserole its classic cheesy flavor, but Monterey Jack, Colby, or a cheddar-Jack blend would also be delicious.
- Use different vegetables: Swap some of the broccoli for cauliflower, chopped spinach, or peas. Just keep the total amount of vegetables similar.
- Add extra flavor: Stir in a little Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, or sautéed onion for another layer of flavor.
- Try a different crunchy topping: Crushed crackers, panko breadcrumbs, or French-fried onions can replace the potato chips for a fun, crispy finish.
- Make it gluten-free: Quinoa is naturally gluten-free. Use certified gluten-free cornstarch and check your broth, seasonings, and topping labels to ensure all ingredients are gluten-free.
Broccoli Quinoa Casserole FAQs
Yes! Cook the quinoa and prepare the cheese sauce ahead of time. You can also assemble the casserole, cover it, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. For the best crunchy topping, wait to add the crushed potato chips until the final few minutes of baking.
Absolutely! Frozen broccoli is a convenient option. Thaw it and drain any excess moisture before adding it to the casserole to help prevent a watery result.
Yes! Leftover cooked quinoa works perfectly and saves you time. You’ll need approximately 4 cups of cooked quinoa to replace the 2 cups of uncooked quinoa in this recipe.
Let the casserole cool, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3–4 days.
Yes, you can freeze it in an airtight, freezer-safe container. For the best texture, freeze it without the potato chip topping and add fresh chips when reheating. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating until hot throughout.
For individual portions, microwave until heated through, stirring if needed. To reheat a larger portion, cover the casserole with foil and warm it in a 350°F oven until hot. Add fresh crushed potato chips near the end for a crispy topping.
Both! The quinoa, broccoli, and cheese make a satisfying vegetarian main dish. You can also serve it as a side alongside roasted chicken, meatballs, or your favorite protein.
Simple Weeknight Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 2 cups Quinoa, uncooked
- 4 cups Broccoli florets
- 2 cups Shredded Cheddar
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 cup Milk
- 4 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Optional Topping: Crushed potato chips
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- Pre-Cook Quinoa. Start by rinsing the quinoa thoroughly in a strainer, then adding it to 4 cups water in a medium pot with a fitted lid. Bring the water to a simmer, then turn it down to the lowest setting and cover tightly. Cook on lowest heat covered for 15 minutes. While the quinoa cooks, continue to prep.
- Cut off the broccoli florets if not already done for you. Mince the garlic. Place potato chips in a baggie and lightly crush to break them up into small pieces.
Cook
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- To a Medium-Large pot, add the vegetable broth and minced garlic. Bring to a simmer on Medium-High heat. While it is heating, make your slurry by mixing the cornstarch into cold milk.
- When the broth is simmering, whisk in the milk slurry. Continue to whisk as it starts to thicken so no clumps form on the bottom.
- Once thickened, whisk in the shredded cheese. Stir until melted and smooth. Then turn off the heat.
- To a 10" x 10" or similar size casserole dish, Add the broccoli florets, cooked quinoa, cheese sauce, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to completely combine. Place in the preheated oven on center rack and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add the crushed potato chips to the top of the casserole and place back in the oven for the final 5 minutes. The remove and let rest for at least 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!
Comments
No Comments