Hen Quinoa Casserole | Diethood

What’s to Love About This Hen Casserole Recipe?

• Daring flavors. I’m a giant fan of tacky, zesty, Mexican-inspired casseroles like rooster enchiladas (a traditional), King Ranch rooster, and my straightforward salsa verde rooster. So, naturally, this quinoa casserole loaded with gooey melty cheese, rooster, and Tex-Mex flavors suits the invoice.
• Tasty textures. There’s loads of crunchy quinoa, tender rooster, juicy corn, and hearty beans to go round, right here. Each chunk packs a scrumptious mixture of textures and flavors, all wrapped in cheese. You possibly can’t beat it.
• Cooked within the crock pot. I’ll take any excuse to whip out my crock pot. Who doesn’t love a meal that makes itself? Simply add every thing to the gradual cooker and say “hasta la vista” till mealtime.
• Make it forward. Not solely can I set this casserole to prepare dinner and neglect about it for the day, but it surely’s additionally an awesome dinner to make forward. Leftovers retailer, freeze, and reheat nicely and the flavors get even higher with time.

Components You’ll Want

I really like quinoa as a substitute for rice or pasta in every thing from a rooster broccoli casserole to stuffed tomatoes. It’s a healthful little grain with a hearty, fluffy texture, and it’s an effective way to stretch elements like rooster in recipes!

Beneath, you’ll discover some fast recipe notes. Scroll all the way down to the printable recipe card for the complete elements checklist with quantities.

• Hen – This recipe requires store-bought or do-it-yourself rotisserie rooster. Any cooked, leftover rooster does the trick, although.
• Quinoa – This may be white, pink, black, or tri-colored quinoa. You’ll discover quinoa in the identical aisle because the rice in most main grocery shops.
• Corn and Beans – Canned candy corn and black beans, rinsed and drained earlier than you begin. You possibly can swap black beans for an additional sort, like pinto beans or kidney beans for those who choose.
• Salsa – Use your favourite model of jarred pink salsa from the shop. If in case you have a do-it-yourself salsa recipe, that works, too.
• Hen Broth – I take advantage of low-sodium rooster broth, however you may also use vegetable inventory.
• Shredded Cheese – Any Mexican cheese mix, like the sort from Previous El Paso, works completely right here. In any other case, you need to use freshly grated cheddar or one other melty sort, like Monterey Jack cheese.
• Diced Inexperienced Chilies – I take advantage of a can of diced inexperienced chilies. Should you’d choose to make use of recent, cube up jalapeño or poblano peppers as a substitute.
• Queso Fresco – Translating to “recent cheese”! That is one other kind of Mexican cheese that’s gentle and crumbly, a bit like feta. You possibly can substitute feta cheese in a pinch.
• Seasonings – Floor cumin, plus salt and pepper to style. Should you’d like, you may swap the cumin for taco seasoning.

Make Hen Quinoa Casserole

You may make this recipe in a 4- or 5-quart gradual cooker by following the steps beneath: 

• Mix the elements. It’s as straightforward as loading up your crockpot or gradual cooker with every thing you see on the elements checklist, other than 1 cup of rooster broth and about 4 ounces of shredded cheese.
• High with broth and cheese. Easy out the highest of the elements, and pour over the reserved broth. Sprinkle on a last layer of cheese.
• Prepare dinner. Set your casserole to prepare dinner for 6-8 hours on Low, or 4 hours on Excessive. The quinoa needs to be cooked via and the cheese needs to be melted and bubbly.
• Serve! Dish up the rooster quinoa casserole together with your favourite taco toppings (see above). I additionally embrace some straightforward serving concepts in a while.

Serving Recommendations

With or with no few toppings, this straightforward rooster quinoa dish is an ideal weeknight casserole served as-is. I often simply have a aspect of lime wedges to squeeze on prime and dinner rolls available to take in the leftover salsa! Should you’re searching for extra methods to spherical out dinner, serve this quinoa casserole with an avocado salad or elote (Mexican road corn), or a starter of creamy corn dip with tortilla chips. I additionally love these enjoyable Southwest egg rolls. And for dessert, attempt a batch of spicy Mexican sizzling chocolate fudge.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Switch the casserole to an hermetic container and let it cool utterly earlier than refrigerating. It lasts for 3-4 days within the fridge.
• Reheat. I wish to reheat this casserole in an oven-safe dish, coated with aluminum foil, at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes till it’s heated via.
• Freeze. You possibly can freeze this rooster casserole for as much as 3 months. Thaw the casserole within the fridge in a single day earlier than reheating.

Extra Methods to Use Leftover Hen