Quinoa Casserole with Broccoli and Chickpeas - Bean Recipes (2024)

A healthy casserole with quinoa that everyone loves, thanks to the cheese! This Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Casserole with chickpeas is a cozy comfort meal that you can feel good about because of the vegetables and quinoa.

I love a good casserole, and I'm always looking for a healthy one that is so simple to throw together on a weeknight. I took my love for a cheesy broccoli rice casserole and converted it to this cheesy quinoa casserole with broccoli and chickpeas instead of chicken!

You can absolutely use chicken here instead of the chickpeas, but since this is a bean recipes site, I use chickpeas! This keeps the recipe vegetarian, though it is not vegan, thanks to the cheese on top.

The Ingredients

• Onion. One medium yellow or white onion, diced finely.
• Garlic. Three cloves of fresh garlic, minced.
• Vegetable Stock. Two cups of vegetable stock to keep this quinoa casserole recipe vegetarian, but you can use chicken stock if that's what you prefer.
• Onion Powder. One teaspoon of dried onion powder for extra flavor in the broth.
• Garlic Powder. One teaspoon of dried garlic granules for a flavor boost.
• Quinoa. You can use white or tri-color quinoa, both work the same. You need 1 cup of raw, uncooked quinoa that has been rinsed and drained.
• Chickpeas. One 15-ounce can of chickpeas that has been drained and rinsed.
• Broccoli. Eight ounces of frozen chopped broccoli. There is not need to thaw it for this recipe. You can buy regular chopped broccoli or broccoli florets, whatever you prefer.
• Cheddar Cheese. One cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese for the top of the quinoa casserole. I have used a vegan cheddar substitute in this recipe with great results.

How to Make Quinoa Casserole with Broccoli

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F, and have ready an 8 or 9-inch casserole dish. This can be a square pan or a small rectangular 11x8 dish. I don't recommend a 9x13 pan because it is too big, unless you want to double the recipe.

See Also

Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole - Family Food on the Table11 Creative Ways To Spice Up Your Green Bean Casserole - Tasting TablePan Cooked Green Bean RecipesThe Perfect Temperature For Baking Green Bean Casserole: A Guide

Recipe Variations

• Vegetarian - This recipe is naturally vegetarian because it uses vegetable broth and cheddar cheese only.
• Vegan - I have made this vegan by swapping in a vegan cheddar cheese alternative with great success.
• Protein - Obviously, we're using chickpeas because this is a bean recipe website, but you could use 1 ½ cups of shredded chicken, if you prefer. Or, mix half chicken and half chickpeas for a high protein dinner idea.

Quinoa Casserole

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Broccoli cheese and chickpea quinoa casserole.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced finely
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces frozen chopped broccoli (not thawed)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375-F.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened while stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Next, add the vegetable stock, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring this mixture to a simmer.
5. Meanwhile, add the rinsed quinoa, chickpeas, and chopped broccoli to a 8 or 9-inch casserole dish.
6. Once the stock mixture is simmering, remove from heat, and carefully pour it over the quinoa mixture in the dish.
7. Cover the casserole dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
8. After 30 minutes, remove the foil, fluff the mixture with a fork, sprinkle the cheese on top, and slide it back into the oven for another 5 minutes (just to melt the cheese).

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 346Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 1102mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 9gSugar: 5gProtein: 16g

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