Cheesy Mexican chicken quinoa casserole
Cheesy Mexican chicken quinoa casserole is loaded with black beans, tomatoes, corn and peppers, plus plenty of cheese, for a delicious and healthy family dinner! (It’s also gluten-free and easy to make ahead!)
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped (see notes)
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup corn (frozen, canned or fresh; optional)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or sub black pepper for less heat)
- 2 - 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese), divided
- Optional toppings: sliced avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, chopped fresh cilantro, pico de gallo or salsa, hot sauce or pickled jalapeños
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350. Grease an 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff and stir in ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt once it’s finished cooking.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and peppers and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and sauté another minute.
- Add chopped chicken and the black beans, tomatoes, corn and spices. Stir until well combined and warmed through, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked quinoa and 1 cup of shredded cheese and stir well to mix. (If your pan isn’t big enough, you can do this in a large bowl.)
- Add the quinoa chicken mixture to the greased casserole dish. Top with remaining 1 to 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to let it set up completely.
- Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Want to make this extra cheesy? Add up to ¼ cup of cream cheese into the mixture in the pan, before adding the quinoa, stirring to get it melted. It’ll give a really great creaminess to the casserole.
I use a white quinoa for this recipe but you could use a mix or red quinoa if you prefer.
We prefer black beans in this recipe but you could try pinto beans as well.
The corn is optional and you can certainly leave it out. Also, feel free to use fresh corn, sliced off the cobs, frozen corn that’s been thawed or canned corn that’s been drained.
I use regular diced tomatoes, but fire-roasted diced or a Mexican-flavored diced tomato would work well too.
You can substitute Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese for the cheddar cheese in this recipe if you prefer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 850mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g
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