Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

That broccoli cheesy rice casserole that you've had for years can now be healthy for you! By adding Quinoa (protein!) it can now be a complete meal, too! I made the whole casserole and plan on eating this deliciousness all week for lunch :)

All this for 264 calories, 18 g carbs, 0.8 g sugars, 13.2 g protein ! (Makes 4 servings as a meal, could easily be 8 servings as a side dish)

First you start with a soup cream base. You can save a lot of calories and sodium by making this yourself, and it's super easy. Combine: 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (I prefer "Better than Bouillon" brand), and a dash of pepper to taste. Whisk all together in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil for one minute, then set aside.

Then, you'll need to cook your quinoa. Start with 3/4 cups uncooked quinoa and follow the instructions on the container that you have. 

Combine cooked quinoa, the soup base, 2 wedges laughing cow cheese, 2 tablespoons skim milk, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 2 cups cooked broccoli, a dash of pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (I broiled for the last 2 minutes to give it a little crunch on top.

Sooooo good!

Ingredients:

Cream soup base: 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (I prefer "Better than Bouillon" brand), and a dash of pepper to taste.

3/4 cups uncooked or 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa 

2 wedges laughing cow cheese

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups cooked broccoli

a dash of pepper 

a dash of nutmeg

top with parmesan cheese