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Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole

5.00 Mitt(s) 4 Rating(s)4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 54 votes, average: 5.00 out of 54 votes, average: 5.00 out of 54 votes, average: 5.00 out of 54 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

An easy Mexican chicken casserole your entire family will love! Cooked quinoa is mixed with creamy Greek yogurt, two types of cheese, black beans, fresh vegetables, and Mexican spices to create a healthy, all-in-one dinner.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 cup Uncooked Quinoa
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 whole Yellow Onion, Chopped
  • 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Stem And Seeds Removed, Chopped
  • 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Bite-Sized Pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon Plus 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
  • ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
  • ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
  • 1 can (15 Oz. Size) Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes, Well Drained
  • 1 can (15 Oz. Size) Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained
  • 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • ¾ cups Freshly Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • ¾ cups Freshly Grated Mozzarella Cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro, For Serving

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a large casserole dish (about 5 quarts) with cooking spray and set aside.

Place water and quinoa in a large saucepan, then bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let it cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a large, deep sauté pan or pot, heat the olive oil over medium high. Add the onion and bell pepper, then sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Continue to sauté until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and drained tomatoes and cook 1 additional minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the black beans, reserved quinoa, Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly in the pan. Top with remaining mozzarella and cheddar, then bake, uncovered until hot and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

Turn oven to broil, then continue cooking until the cheese is lightly browned, about 3-4 additional minutes, watching carefully so that the cheese does not burn. Remove from oven. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

One Comment

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Stephanie on 10.13.2014

Quinoa casseroles rock! Can’t wait to try this one…yummo!

4 Reviews

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erinjoyous on 3.17.2016

This is such a great, easy to throw together meal. I cook my quinoa in the rice cooker, so I don’t even have to think about it. The flavours are well blended, and the versatility of the recipe allows me to use what’s on hand in my pantry & fridge. For this frugal mother of 3, that is a winning recipe in my book. The leftovers (if there are any) also freeze easily.

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hjcary on 1.17.2015

We just finished eating this for dinner and it was great. I used almost double the chicken but other than that kept it the same. I put it in a 9×13 pan and all we have for leftovers was a very small maybe half serving,(we are a family of 6). I placed sliced avocado on the table as a garnish and I thought it was a nice addition.

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lenneth91205 on 11.20.2014

This was a big hit with the whole family! Very tasty and easy to prepare.

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amanda79 on 9.27.2014

Loved it. I did make some adjustment to suit my family. I used ground chicken (worked great), used sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt (that’s what I had on hand), and because I cannot get fire roasted tomatoes in my little town I used a can of regular diced tomatoes and added a can of diced green chilies. Just goes to show you how flexible this recipe can be.

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