This girl subliminally planted a message in my head that sounded like this :
casseroles are awesome!
casseroles are easy!
casseroles can be healthy!
I couldn't shake the chant, so I decided to google around for a healthy, easy casserole recipe. I wanted something well-rounded and low-calorie. And here is what I found :
Cozy Quinoa Casserole
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 -6 cremini mushrooms or 5 -6 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup acorn squash, sliced (I used acorn squash AND butternut squash)
- 1 lb ground turkey or 1 lb veggie crumbles
- 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 6 ounces reduced-fat monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used fat-free cheddar)
Directions:
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a skillet, sauté onion in olive oil on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add mushrooms, squash, and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add turkey (or veggie meat substitute), breaking into small pieces as it browns, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, stock, and quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat , cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Transfer ingredients from pan into a 9-by-9 casserole dish or baking pan.
- Mix in parsley and 3 oz. cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining 3 oz. cheese on top of casserole.
- Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
I had read in the reviews that it comes out a bit bland, so I doubled the garlic and onions, added hot red pepper flakes. That was a good decision, however it still came out a bit bland.
Overall though, I loved this casserole. It was super easy to make, made very little mess (yay for 1 pan, 1 dish)
Ok, maybe it's not a beauty queen. But I promise, it's better than it looks. I think this is a really good base, but next time (this weekend!) I'm going to add fresh hot peppers, crushed tomatoes, and even more garlic. It can use a little more moisture, and a lot more flavor, so I think that will help.
I ate the last piece for dinner last night, I paired it with some asparagus and topped it with some bleu cheese. The very best part of this casserole?
Only 320 calories for a HUGE portion!
Does anybody have any low-cal casserole recipes to share with me?
2 refreshing comments:
hA! I got so excited when I saw this in my reader. I had a hunch you might be talking about me with the chant. I LOVE CASSEROLES FOR LIFE!
:) You've come a long way from the days of only using recipes that fit on a post-it! ;)
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