Rooster Quinoa Casserole | Diethood

What’s to Love About This Rooster Casserole Recipe?

• Daring flavors. I’m a giant fan of tacky, zesty, Mexican-inspired casseroles like hen enchiladas (a basic), King Ranch hen, and my simple 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 chunk 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 part to the gradual cooker and say “hasta la vista” till mealtime.
• Make it forward. Not solely can I set this casserole to cook dinner and neglect about it for the day, however it’s additionally an amazing dinner to make forward. Leftovers retailer, freeze, and reheat nicely and the flavors get even higher with time.

Elements You’ll Want

I like quinoa as a substitute for rice or pasta in every part from a hen broccoli casserole to stuffed tomatoes. It’s a healthful little grain with a hearty, fluffy texture, and it’s a good way to stretch substances 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 substances checklist with quantities.

• Rooster – This recipe requires store-bought or home made rotisserie hen. Any cooked, leftover hen does the trick, although.
• Quinoa – This may be white, pink, 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 should you favor.
• Salsa – Use your favourite model of jarred pink salsa from the shop. If in case you have a home made salsa recipe, that works, too.
• Rooster Broth – I take advantage of low-sodium hen broth, however you can too use vegetable inventory.
• Shredded Cheese – Any Mexican cheese mix, like the sort from Outdated El Paso, works completely right here. In any other case, you should utilize 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. In case you’d favor to make use of contemporary, cube up jalapeño or poblano peppers as a substitute.
• Queso Fresco – Translating to “contemporary cheese”! That is one other kind of Mexican cheese that’s mild and crumbly, a bit like feta. You possibly can substitute feta cheese in a pinch.
• Seasonings – Floor cumin, plus salt and pepper to style. In case you’d like, you possibly can swap the cumin for taco seasoning.

The way to Make Rooster Quinoa Casserole

You may make this recipe in a 4- or 5-quart gradual cooker by following the steps under: 

• Mix the substances. It’s as simple as loading up your crockpot or gradual cooker with every part you see on the substances checklist, aside from 1 cup of hen broth and about 4 ounces of shredded cheese.
• Prime with broth and cheese. Clean out the highest of the substances, and pour over the reserved broth. Sprinkle on a last layer of cheese.
• Prepare dinner. Set your casserole to cook dinner for 6-8 hours on Low, or 4 hours on Excessive. The quinoa needs to be cooked by way of and the cheese needs to be melted and bubbly.
• Serve! Dish up the hen quinoa casserole together with your favourite taco toppings (see above). I additionally embrace some simple serving concepts in a while.

Serving Solutions

With or and not using a few toppings, this simple hen quinoa dish is an ideal weeknight casserole served as-is. I normally simply have a facet of lime wedges to squeeze on prime and dinner rolls available to absorb the leftover salsa! In case you’re searching for extra methods to spherical out dinner, serve this quinoa casserole with an avocado salad or elote (Mexican road 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 scorching chocolate fudge.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Switch the casserole to an hermetic container and let it cool utterly earlier than refrigerating. It lasts for 3-4 days within the fridge.
• Reheat. I prefer to reheat this casserole in an oven-safe dish, coated with aluminum foil, at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes till it’s heated by way of.
• 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 Rooster