Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole

Who doesn't love a good cheesy broccoli and rice casserole? Add some chicken and make it into a divan and I am one happy girl. There is just something about the combination that is oh-so-good, but not necessarily good for you. Boo. Therefore I was excited to find a recipe using quinoa instead of rice as well as some lighter ingredients, and I tweaked it a little to come up with my own version that I think is pretty great. Its a perfect side dish or can even be enjoyed on its own - and reheats great for leftovers too!

You can find the recipe I based this off of here. My main changes were to add some onion, celery and garlic, use mozzarella cheese, and give it a crunchy topping. I was going to take the easy route and use a can of cream of mushroom soup, but decided to try the homemade version listed with the recipe instead, and I think it worked great for this. I might not sub it in all the time, but for this particular recipe I'm glad I went the homemade route.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
4 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 recipe homemade "cream of anything soup" (recipe follows) or 1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup mayo or light mayo
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked, and you cook it in a 1:2 ratio just like rice. Combine rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes)
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Steam or boil broccoli until just fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, melt 2 tsp. butter. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in "cream of anything" soup.

4. In a large bowl, combine soup and veggie mixture, milk, mayo and mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in broccoli and cooked quinoa. Pour into prepared casserole.

5. Melt remaining 2 tsp. butter in a small bowl. Stir in Panko and Parmesan. Sprinkle over the top of casserole. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes; remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.


"Cream of Anything" soup
1 cup cold milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

In a small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch till well blended. Stir in butter, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken. Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup.