Quinoa and veggie casserole (Dinner)

Quinoa and veggie casserole (from Canada's food guide)

Get a plateful of colour from this comforting casserole made with quinoa and vegetables. The melted cheese topping with its crispy edges makes it simply irresistible.

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 35 min

Servings: 6

Freezer-friendly

Vegetarian

Ingredients

• 10 mL (2 tsp) extra virgin olive oil

• 1 leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped

• 10 mL (2 tsp) Italian herb seasoning

• 250 mL (1 cup) quinoa, rinsed

• 500 mL (2 cups) broccoli florets

• 425 mL (1 ¾ cups) sodium reduced vegetable broth

• 250 mL (1 cup) corn kernels

• 175 mL (¾ cup) shredded light old Cheddar cheese

• 15 mL (1 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat and cook leek, garlic, red pepper and Italian herb seasoning for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Stir in quinoa, broccoli and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Stir in corn and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Spoon mixture into small casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Bake in preheated 200°C (400°F) oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tips

• Leeks need to be thoroughly cleaned. Trim the roots and some of the dark green tops off. Cut in half lengthwise and wash well.

• Little chefs can help you spoon the mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle the cheese and parsley on top.

• Get ahead of the game. The night before, complete step one and the first part of step two, then refrigerate overnight. Pop it in the oven for dinner the next day, increasing the bake time by 5 to 10 minutes.

• This casserole is versatile so you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. No broccoli? No worries. Use cauliflower instead. Swap peas for corn.

• Try using less of the ingredients that are high in added sodium, sugars or saturated fat. Adding salt or sugars directly to your recipe? Remember, a little often goes a long way.

Recipe developed by Emily Richards, P.H. Ec. for Health Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Source: © All rights reserved. Canada’s Food Guide: Recipes. Health Canada. Reproduced with permission from the Minister of Health, 2022.