Healthy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole Recipe
This HEALTHY chicken broccoli quinoa casserole has classic flavors with some upgraded ingredients. Family friendly + makes great leftovers.
One recipe request I’ve gotten time and time again is for kid-friendly quinoa recipes. And Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole is JUST that.
I love that you guys love quinoa as much as I do, seriously. As much as we love quinoa, I’ve found that everyone in our family enjoys quinoa more when it’s part of a dish, than when it’s just served on the side of a meal. It’s why I keep making quinoa as the base of casserole-type meals. Our other favorites are: Pizza Quinoa Casserole and One-Pot Mexican Quinoa. These quinoa casseroles are filling, easy to throw together, and typically enjoyed by the whole family. (And for the record, NOT easy to photograph.)
I want to explain what I mean by kid-friendly. When I use the term kid-friendly, I don’t mean kid-food. I don’t really do kid food. Sure, we have quesadillas, and mac & cheese, but most of the time I serve Demi the same food that we eat – the same meals that we eat.
Whenever people ask me if there is anything that Demi doesn’t like, I don’t really have an answer. Mostly because I assume that she likes everything! It doesn’t mean that she never refuses food – she does. On a regular basis. But when she does? I don’t discount it as something she’ll never eat again. It’s just that she didn’t eat it for that meal.
It’s completely natural for kids to refuse foods and go through picky phases. (Demi’s still very young, I’m fully aware that she’ll get pickier as she gets a little older.) But, before you really say that your child doesn’t like a food, you really have to give it 10-15 times. It’s a lot and a little overwhelming, I get it. Just don’t stop offering foods your kids have refused in the past!
All this is to say, that when I give the kid-friendly approval, it means that sometimes it’s approved, sometimes it’s not. 😉
This chicken broccoli quinoa casserole is divine, hearty, and satisfying. I love that it covers all of the nutritional bases that I look for: whole-grain, protein, veggies, flavor!
I think your family will love it, even if they don’t love it each and every time you serve it. 🙂
Want more easy trader joe’s recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- 15 Easy Trader Joe’s Recipes
- 9 Healthy Items You Need to Buy from Trader Joe’s
- Easy Trader Joe’s Recipe: Carne Asada with Pepper & Corn Salad
- Easy Trader Joe’s Recipe: Harvest Chili Stuffed Delicata Squash
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Casserole
Description
This HEALTHY chicken broccoli quinoa casserole has classic flavors with some upgraded ingredients. Family friendly + makes great leftovers.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 12 oz bag of broccoli florets (~4 cups roughly chopped)
- 11 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Slice chicken into 1-inch wide pieces.
- Roughly chop broccoli.
- Heat oil in your largest skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Add quinoa to pan, and cook another 2 minutes. (We’re not cooking it here, but just toasting it.)
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in broth and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from heat and add in garlic powder, mushroom soup, sour cream. Stir to combine, then stir in broccoli to combine.
- Pour into a 9×13 inch baking dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20-25 more minutes, until top is golden brown.
This post may contain affiliate links. I earn a small commission from purchases made through them, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting this site!
sounds delicious!
It is! Even after I’ve been having it for meal after meal! 😉
IS THIS RECIPE REALLY 800 CALORIES PER SERVING? DOESN’T SEEM LIKE IT SHOULD BE THAT MUCH
Hi Joy, adjusted the chicken thighs in the nutrition calculator, which adjusted the calorie count. Seems more realistic now! The initial assessment was including the skin, so was higher in calories. Thanks for alerting me!
🙂 can’t wait to try it
Do I cook the quinoa before making the rest of the recipe?
No! It cooks while the casserole bakes. No need to make extra work. 🙂
You mentioned adding the quinoa into the pan… And cooking it for two minutes. Do I not need to add water? I didn’t know you could sauté quinoa for any amount of time on the stove top without water. Thanks
Yes, it will cook when it bakes. We’re basically toasting it a bit in the pan, then adding the soup, water, etc. and it will cook with that liquid.
This was delicious! Even my pickiest eater loved it
YAY! So glad to hear this! Thanks for sharing, Melissa. 🙂
Can you freeze this casserole? If so, bake first?
Hi Susan, Yes, I think it would freeze well! Bake first, then freeze!
Do you rinse the quinoa? I thought this is necessary step with quinoa
You can. A lot of quinoa is pre-rinsed now, but check your package! I don’t ever rinse mine.