Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Bake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Quinoa meets with everything you love about Mexican food in this hearty, comforting bake. This reheats beautifully and is perfect for leftover quinoa!
Ingredients
Bake:
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, and diced
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups (about 8 oz) chicken, cooked and shredded
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1½ cups enchilada sauce (recipe follows)
  • 1 cup (4 oz) 2% cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup (4 oz) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Enchilada Sauce:
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 Tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 (15 oz) can low-sodium tomato sauce
  • ½ cup water
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mist a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside (keep covered) and allow quinoa to sit an additional 10-15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the enchilada sauce. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and set aside.
  4. In a small skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño, and sauté until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. To the bowl add the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, chicken, cumin, chili powder, salt, 1½ cups of the enchilada sauce, and ⅓ cup of each cheese. Mix well and pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake 15-20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with and cilantro, and serve.
Notes
Enchilada Sauce from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, as seen on Pink Parsley, Enchilada Bake recipe from Pink Parsley
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ⅛ of bake Calories: 358 Fat: 12.4 Carbohydrates: 43.1 Sugar: 9.4 Sodium: 682 Fiber: 9.6 Protein: 22.8 Cholesterol: 39
Recipe by Prevention RD at https://preventionrd.com/chicken-enchilada-quinoa-bake/