#834: Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole

I found this recipe on my sister-in-laws Pinterest board and was so excited to make this since I love Quinoa!!  (By the way, Leslie, I don't ever see you making this!)  :)  The most time consuming part of this recipe is making the quinoa ahead of time and letting it cool. 

Then I realized I was completely out of any sort of "cream of..." soup.  So I googled it and made my own.  This is the recipe I used, and I halved the recipe.  It was actually quite simple to make, even if it was a tad bland (but that's because I didn't add anything like chicken or celery into it).  I also cut down on the cheese (I omitted a lot of it) and didn't use the Parmesan cheese that's called for on top to help make this lighter/healthier. 

Anyhow, I got 6 nice size servings out of this.  The edges are really nice and crispy so next time I think I'll try making this in muffin tins instead.  This is going to make for a nice, healthy lunch this week. 

One 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (I made my own at 1.5 ww+ pts)

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (I used 1/2 c of Mexican blend cheese)

1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar (I omitted)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

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2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups COOKED quinoa (see note)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I omitted)

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To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

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Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear. In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible. Fluff with a fork.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

 

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.  Spoon mixture into prepared casserole. Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden. 

 

I got 6 servings out of this at 3.5 ww+ pts each (my version without the Parmesan cheese and less of the shredded cheese).