Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bake. Broccoli and quinoa smothered in a creamy cheese sauce and topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs. A healthier version of the Broccoli Rice Casserole we all love!
If you love easy casserole recipes then you would love my Broccoli Rice Casserole!
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Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bake
I took one of my favorite casseroles and made it healthier! This Broccoli Quinoa Casserole is still rich and satisfying as the original. I make an easy homemade cheese sauce using milk, shredded cheddar cheese, flour and a little butter. I substituted quinoa in place of the rice and skipped pre made canned soup.
For an added crunch I top the casserole with toasted panko breadcrumbs. It makes all the difference!
To make this a full meal add shredded rotisserie chicken! You can also add canned tuna to this for a protein boost!
Ingredients
- Quinoa: Is used in place of rice for an added protein boost!
- Broccoli: You can use fresh or frozen broccoli in this casserole. Just make sure to thaw the frozen broccoli before adding. You can also substitute cauliflower florets!
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Use gluten free breadcrumbs to keep this dish gluten free.
- Butter & Flour: Are used to make a roux to thicken up the cheese sauce. You can use gluten free flour to make this dish gluten free.
- Milk: I use 2% milk however any nut milk can be substituted. You would not be able to tell the difference.
- Cheese: I love using sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe. However gouda, swiss, fontina or pepper jack can also be used.
- Sour cream: Adds the perfect amount of creaminess to the casserole. You can substitute greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for an added protein boost!
How to make broccoli quinoa bake
- Cook quinoa: According to package instructions.
- Make panko breading: Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add panko and cook stirring constantly until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Saute broccoli: In the same pan heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the broccoli and cook until tender, set aside.
- Make cheese sauce: start by melting butter in a medium saucepan. Add in flour and whisk constantly for about 1 minute. Slowly add in milk and continue to whisk until thickened slightly, 3-4 minutes.
- Bake: Take off of the heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese, sour cream, broccoli and cooked quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese has melted, a couple of minutes. Top the casserole with the toasted breadcrumbs and serve immediately.
- Serve: Immediately with fresh parsley for serving!
What to serve with this Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bake
Here are more Healthy Quinoa Recipes to try!
- Mushroom Shallot Garlic Quinoa
- Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers
- Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
- Greek Kale Quinoa Salad
Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/3 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add panko and cook stirring constantly until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the broccoli and cook until tender, set aside.
- To make the cheese sauce start by melting butter in a medium saucepan. Add in flour and whisk constantly for about 1 minute.
- Slowly add in milk and continue to whisk until thickened slightly, 3-4 minutes.
- Take off of the heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese, sour cream, broccoli and cooked quinoa.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer mixture to baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Cook until cheese has melted, 5-10 minutes.
- Top the casserole with the toasted breadcrumbs and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
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Rachel
I made this for dinner and it was pretty good. Its not super flavorful but its still good. This recipe had a lot of steps going on at the same time which made it kind of difficult to cook. At one point i was making the cheese sauce in one pot, cooking the quinoa in another pot, while toasting the breadcrumbs in a pan. There was so much multi tasking going on that i forgot about the breadcrumbs and they got burnt. I had to throw them out and make more. I also decided to steam the broccoli instead of cooking it in the pan, that made more sense to me. The cheese sauce didnt thicken for me and im not sure why. i had a ton of pots and pans to clean at the end but the meal was pretty good.
Susan
Hello! I tried making this dish, and my cheese sauce would not thicken. I think maybe the milk should be adjusted by 1c perhaps? It was super soupy, so am wondering if the measurements listed are accurate? Or maybe it was just my amateur skills in the kitchen!:) Thanks!
Chris
This is addicting! Healthy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Monica
The ingredients definitely need to be altered . Waaaayyy too watery . Maybe try 1 cup of milk instead of two . I cooked it in a pan for probably 20 minutes to get the milk out and then put it in the pan . Still tasted good !
Kelley
Hi Monica,
Thanks for letting me know I will retest and see if it needs tweaking.
Thanks!
Kelley
Lia
Definitely need to tweak the amount of milk. It’s very runny and should probably have 1 cup of milk or maybe just more flour? Or more cheese?
Kelley Simmons
Hi Lia,
I’m sorry to hear this. I’m thinking the cheese sauce maybe did not get thick enough. This can cause it to be runny. I like to cook the milk until it thickens a bit. Hope this helps!
Thanks!
Kelley
JMaccagnone
I made this for supper last night and it was wonderful!!! It was much better than I was even expecting. Thank you for sharing this. I made the recipe as written, with the exception that I added some cauliflower along with the broccoli and I did not put the panko on it. The sauce turned out perfect and the flavors were just like a broccoli casserole. Wonderful!
Kelley Simmons
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!