Chicken Quinoa Casserole with Broccoli

This was one of the other recipes I wanted to try for my Secret Recipe Club post this month, but I chose the Tuna Enchiladas, which I happen to have made for dinner again tonight.  Only this time I used a can of salmon instead of the tuna.  So good! My SRC recipes often become favorites around here.

I made this casserole a week or so ago, and I see why Cathleen called it her new favorite casserole.  It is excellent!  I'd tried quinoa a time or two in the past, but I hadn't really been impressed.  But this?  This casserole makes me love it.  There's just something about the texture of the quinoa and all the flavors.  Everything goes together so well.  You should definitely try this.  Soon.

A little melted cheese on top doesn't hurt, either.

Chicken Quinoa Casserole with Broccoli
adapted from A Taste of Madness

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. chicken seasoning (I used Canadian Chicken seasoning)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed (I used 1/2 red quinoa and 1/2 white)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in thin strips
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 3 cups broccoli, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup hot water, from steaming broccoli

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. In a large nonstick pan (preferably oven-safe), bring the chicken broth to a low boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, chicken seasoning and flour until fully combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the boiling liquid and mix until smooth and bubbly.
3. Stir in 1 cup water and the quinoa. Place the chicken strips over the quinoa mixture and sprinkle with salt and chili powder. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. (If your pan isn't oven safe at 400˚, pour the mixture into a greased 13x9" baking dish before adding the chicken.)
4. While the casserole is in the oven, steam the broccoli until tender. Set broccoli aside and reserve 1 cup of the hot water.
5. Remove the casserole from the oven, and add the broccoli and up to 1 cup of the hot water until the consistency is creamy and can be easily stirred in the pan. Sprinkle with the cheese, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

I recently got a gorgeous ceramic nonstick pan that worked perfectly for this.  I figured why use a separate baking dish if I don't have to?  Fewer dishes, right?  Even though I really don't mind washing dishes...

 

I'm not exactly sure what chicken seasoning the recipe referred to, so I used some Weber Canadian Chicken seasoning.  I visited their webpage but couldn't find it listed, so I'm not sure if it's available anymore or not, but it's similar to this Montreal Chicken seasoning. The flavor was really good, and now I'm thinking of ways to use this seasoning for things besides just grilling chicken.  I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of it before.

 

I will definitely be making this again.  I'm now wondering how it would turn out to mix everything up and put it all in the crockpot instead of baking it.  I'm thinking of using some chopped cooked chicken and just mixing in a 16-oz. bag of frozen chopped broccoli, and then letting it all cook together.  I think it would be great for a potluck.