• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Wendy Polisi
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Living
    • Essential Oils
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookies Policy
    • Terms of Service and Conditions
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Lifestyle
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Main Dish Recipes » Casserole Recipes

    Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole

    5 from 1 vote
    Posted October 31, 2014 (last updated May 1, 2020) by Wendy Polisi

    • Share6143
    • Tweet
    • Yummly

    This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Frozen Food Foundation for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

     This Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole is a healthy recipe that is a perfect weeknight dinner.   Such great way to get your veggies in. So simple, delicious and nutritious!Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole
    Did you know that nearly 80% of Americans fail to consume the recommended amounts of fruit and 90% fail to get the recommended amounts of vegetables? This is unfortunate because fruits and vegetables are major contributors of essential nutrients in our diets. Consuming fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of chronic disease. In a world where the rates of chronic disease are increasing among all age groups, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables across the rainbow is more important than ever.

    Let’s face it: it can be really hard to get the recommended allowances for produce in our diets. Who has time for all that chopping?

    For our family, I’ve found a great solution: frozen vegetables.

    Now I know what some of you are thinking: fresh is best. I used to think that too. In fact, for a long time, I stayed away from frozen vegetables. These days, we eat them on a regular basis. Science backs making them a regular part of your diet.
    cheesy-veggie-casserole
    In a study conducted at The University of California, Davis, in partnership with the Frozen Food Foundation, it was found that frozen fruits and vegetables generally have nutritionally equal to - or in some cases better than - their fresh counterparts. The study looked at fruits and vegetables under the following conditions: frozen (analyzed within 24 hours of harvest and after 10 and 90 days in the freezer) and fresh-stored (analyzed within 24 hours of harvest and after three and 10 days in the refrigerator.
    cheesy-veggie-casserole-3-678x1024

    As a busy mom, I’ve found that frozen vegetables can be the start to a quick and healthy meal. Both convenient and affordable, having my freezer stocked really simplifies meal preparation. Freezing fruits and vegetables is nature’s pause button and is an easy way to combat the cost of fresh ‘out of season’ produce. You know what else I love? I am forever letting vegetables rot before I can use them up and with frozen vegetables I don’t have to worry about that. Today’s Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole is the perfect example of how I use frozen veggies to make easy and healthy meals that the whole family enjoys. I hope you like this one as much as we do!

    Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole

    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole

     This Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole is a healthy recipe that is a perfect weeknight dinner.   Such great way to get your veggies in. So simple, delicious and nutritious!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Gluten Free, Quinoa
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 514kcal
    Author: Wendy Polisi

    Ingredients

    • 6 tablespoons butter pastured or olive oil
    • 6 tablespoons gluten free flour
    • 2 ½ cups milk
    • 8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded and divided
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    • 16 ounces cooked chicken chopped
    • 3 cups cooked quinoa
    • 24 ounces frozen broccoli cauliflower & carrot mix, thawed
    • ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
    • Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in milk. Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened. Reduce heat to low and add in 6 ounces of cheddar cheese, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese melts.
    • Remove from heat and stir in chicken, quinoa and vegetables. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with breadcrumbs.
    • Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1245IU | Vitamin C: 75.9mg | Calcium: 355mg | Iron: 2.8mg

    If You Like This Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Casserole You May Also Like:

    • Butternut Squash Casserole
    • How to Cook Quinoa
    • Veggie Quinoa Burritos

     

    Filed Under:

    Casserole RecipesChicken RecipesGluten Free RecipesMain Dish RecipesQuinoa Recipes

    More Casserole Recipes

    • Square overhead photo of wild rice stuffing in a casserole dish.
      Wild Rice Stuffing with Cranberries
    • Close up overhead photo of loaded mashed potatoes in a casserole dish.
      Loaded Mashed Potatoes
    • Close up square photo of Brussels sprout casserole in a white casserole dish.
      Cheesy Brussels Sprout Casserole with Breadcrumbs
    • Overhead photo of green bean casserole with bacon.
      Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

    About Wendy Polisi

    Hi, I’m Wendy! I’m a cook, 5 time cookbook author, blogger, natural health enthusiast…and most importantly a mom. My boys are 16 & 17 and my late life princess is 9.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

      Your support means the world to me! If you loved this recipe, I would be grateful if you left a star rating while leaving a comment. Star ratings go a long way in helping other food enthusiasts discover and enjoy my recipes online.

      Thank you!
      Wendy

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Rating




    1. Shannon Graham

      January 15, 2018 at 10:14 pm

      5 stars
      YES! This sounds SO good! This could be dinner as well!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Favorites

    • Close up photo of a spoonful of Spanish Cauliflower Rice resting in a bowl of keto rice.
      25-Minute Spanish Cauliflower Rice
    • Close up photo of a bread machine dinner roll on a cooling rack with other rolls behind it.
      Fluffy and Tender Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
    • Square side photo of gluten free vegetarian lasagna.
      Gluten Free Vegetarian Lasagna
    • Square overhead photo of an aqua bowl with tahini pastas garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.
      15-Minute Sesame Tahini Pasta
    • Square close up photo of a crispy quinoa salad with pomegranate and sweet potato.
      Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad with Crispy Quinoa
    • Square close up photo of a thai chicken salad on a white plate.
      Thai Chicken Salad Recipe

    Family, Food and Fun!

    Hi, I’m Wendy! I’m a cook, 5 time cookbook author, blogger, natural health enthusiast…and most importantly a mom. My boys are 16 & 17 and my late life princess is 9.

    More about me →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Terms of Service
    • About
    • Web Stories

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.