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 hen enchiladas (a traditional), King Ranch hen, and my straightforward salsa verde hen. So, naturally, this quinoa casserole loaded with gooey melty cheese, hen, and Tex-Mex flavors suits the invoice.
• Tasty textures. There’s loads of crunchy quinoa, tender hen, juicy corn, and hearty beans to go round, right here. Each chew 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 sluggish cooker and say “hasta la vista” till mealtime.
• Make it forward. Not solely can I set this casserole to cook dinner and overlook about it for the day, nevertheless it’s additionally a terrific dinner to make forward. Leftovers retailer, freeze, and reheat properly 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 hen 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 hen in recipes!

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

• Hen – This recipe requires store-bought or do-it-yourself rotisserie hen. Any cooked, leftover hen does the trick, although.
• Quinoa – This may be white, crimson, 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 variety, like pinto beans or kidney beans for those who choose.
• Salsa – Use your favourite model of jarred crimson salsa from the shop. In case you have a do-it-yourself salsa recipe, that works, too.
• Hen Broth – I take advantage of low-sodium hen broth, however you can even 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 variety, like Monterey Jack cheese.
• Diced Inexperienced Chilies – I take advantage of a can of diced inexperienced chilies. If you happen to’d choose to make use of recent, cube up jalapeño or poblano peppers as an alternative.
• Queso Fresco – Translating to “recent cheese”! That is one other sort 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. If you happen to’d like, you may swap the cumin for taco seasoning.

Learn how to Make Hen Quinoa Casserole

You can also make this recipe in a 4- or 5-quart sluggish cooker by following the steps under: 

• Mix the elements. It’s as straightforward as loading up your crockpot or sluggish cooker with every thing you see on the elements listing, other than 1 cup of hen 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 ultimate layer of cheese.
• Cook dinner. Set your casserole to cook dinner for 6-8 hours on Low, or 4 hours on Excessive. The quinoa must be cooked via and the cheese must be melted and bubbly.
• Serve! Dish up the hen quinoa casserole along with your favourite taco toppings (see above). I additionally embody some straightforward serving concepts in a while.

Serving Ideas

With or with out a few toppings, this straightforward hen quinoa dish is an ideal weeknight casserole served as-is. I often simply have a aspect of lime wedges to squeeze on high and dinner rolls available to take in the leftover salsa! If you happen to’re on the lookout for extra methods to spherical out dinner, serve this quinoa casserole with an avocado salad or elote (Mexican avenue 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 fully earlier than refrigerating. It lasts for 3-4 days within the fridge.
• Reheat. I prefer to reheat this casserole in an oven-safe dish, lined with aluminum foil, at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes till it’s heated via.
• Freeze. You possibly can freeze this hen 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