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Have you jumped on the quinoa bandwagon yet? If you haven't, you are missing out. I know, it's an "acquired taste" for some. It was for me. At first I thought it tasted a lot like soggy cardboard.. And the texture? Might as well eat sand. Not convincing you to try it, am I? What I quickly learned was that (a) unless it is pre-rinsed (the stuff I buy at Costco is), you need to rinse it well and (b) what you cook it with makes a huge difference. HUGE. If you follow those two rules, you won't even need to acquire the taste for it.
Now, I could eat quinoa for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Quinoa with blueberries for breakfast, as a vegetable pilaf for lunch, mac-n-cheese for dinner. Wait, what? Mac-n-cheese??!! Yeah, you read that right. Quinoa can be a comfort food. Life-changing, isn't it?
And did you know you make quinoa in a rice cooker? I mean, how easy is that? I cook mine for 22 minutes, a random number that works for me.
I tried some good quinoa mac-n-cheese recipes. They were tasty and approved by the whole family. But I couldn't just make mac-n-cheese for dinner. I felt like I had to add meat and veggies to make it a full meal.. If only I could do that all in one dish, and make a simple meal (read: not a lot of time spent in kitchen with a one year old tugging at my legs and trying to climb on the counter), one that the whole family would eat...
I did just that with chicken and broccoli. My husband asked me to make it again. My kids both scarfed it down. But living in the Southwest, we like things with cumin and chili powder. Salsa is considered a salad dressing in my house. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean spicy. My kids have not yet acquired that taste. We just like a little extra flavor. So, I created a Southwest Quinoa Mac-n-cheese. With all the protein from the quinoa and beans, you can make it meatless, or you can add chicken, like I did, for even more protein. We had some leftover grilled chipotle chicken. You can adjust the seasonings to your likings. This is what worked with our little ones. You're welcome.
Now, I could eat quinoa for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Quinoa with blueberries for breakfast, as a vegetable pilaf for lunch, mac-n-cheese for dinner. Wait, what? Mac-n-cheese??!! Yeah, you read that right. Quinoa can be a comfort food. Life-changing, isn't it?
And did you know you make quinoa in a rice cooker? I mean, how easy is that? I cook mine for 22 minutes, a random number that works for me.
I tried some good quinoa mac-n-cheese recipes. They were tasty and approved by the whole family. But I couldn't just make mac-n-cheese for dinner. I felt like I had to add meat and veggies to make it a full meal.. If only I could do that all in one dish, and make a simple meal (read: not a lot of time spent in kitchen with a one year old tugging at my legs and trying to climb on the counter), one that the whole family would eat...
I did just that with chicken and broccoli. My husband asked me to make it again. My kids both scarfed it down. But living in the Southwest, we like things with cumin and chili powder. Salsa is considered a salad dressing in my house. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean spicy. My kids have not yet acquired that taste. We just like a little extra flavor. So, I created a Southwest Quinoa Mac-n-cheese. With all the protein from the quinoa and beans, you can make it meatless, or you can add chicken, like I did, for even more protein. We had some leftover grilled chipotle chicken. You can adjust the seasonings to your likings. This is what worked with our little ones. You're welcome.
Southwest Quinoa Mac-n-cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 52 - 57 min
Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8.5 x 11 pan with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 2 - 3 min, or until translucent.
3. Cook quinoa with chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, onion and garlic. If cooking in rice cooker, add all ingredients and cook for 22 min. If cooking over stove, bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. In small bowl, whisk egg with milk. Stir in 2 cups Mexican cheese. Pour into cooked quinoa mixture. Add chicken, if desired.
5. Pour mixture into greased pan. Top with cheddar cheese. Cook 30 – 35 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and most liquid is absorbed.
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 52 - 57 min
Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients:
- 1 c quinoa, rinsed and drained (I used red quinoa)
- 2 c chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 c corn
- 1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 egg
- 1 c milk
- 2 c shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8.5 x 11 pan with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 2 - 3 min, or until translucent.
3. Cook quinoa with chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, onion and garlic. If cooking in rice cooker, add all ingredients and cook for 22 min. If cooking over stove, bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. In small bowl, whisk egg with milk. Stir in 2 cups Mexican cheese. Pour into cooked quinoa mixture. Add chicken, if desired.
5. Pour mixture into greased pan. Top with cheddar cheese. Cook 30 – 35 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and most liquid is absorbed.