Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

This quinoa casserole recipe is from our newest book: ALWAYS DELICIOUS by David Ludwig, MD, PhD, and Dawn Ludwig.

This is one of our favorite recipes from our partnership with George Brown College! We have an on-going collaboration with the school to help train a new generation of chefs in the AH lifestyle. Culinary students John Loui Ricardo and Julius De Guia wowed us with this tasty casserole from their AH class project. This casserole is quick and easy because components can be made ahead and assembled in a matter of minutes . . . but it tastes like it came from a fine restaurant. Our son Benji says that he’ll eat anything that has this enchilada sauce on top!

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Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

This quinoa enchilada casserole is a delicious family-friendly meal that can be prepared in large batches and stored for meals throughout the week. Keep in mind that the recipe itself isn’t a complete meal – so you’ll need to add a source of protein to make a full lunch/dinner. Not sure what protein to pair with it? Try these options…

Phase 1 (Meat): Substitute 4 servings Shredded Chicken (Always Delicious pg. 110) for the quinoa in the whole recipe. For each person: Serve with 1/2 ounce dark chocolate for dessert.
Phase 1 (Vegetarian): Substitute 1 pound extra-firm tofu (drained, pressed with an absorbent towel, crumbled, and seasoned with 3/4 teaspoon salt) or 2 cups cottage cheese for the quinoa in the whole recipe. For each person: Garnish with 2 tablespoons plain whole-milk Greek yogurt. For dessert, enjoy 1 Chocolate Truffle (Always Delicious pg. 314)
Phase 2 (Meat): Serve each portion with 1/2 serving Beef, Bison, or Turkey Meatballs (Always Delicious pg. 149).
Phase 2 (Vegetarian): Serve each portion with 1/2 serving Baked Tofu (Always Delicious page 175; Chimichurri Variation). For dessert, have 1 cup strawberries.

While you’re preparing the casserole, why not double-up the batch of sauce to use in various ways throughout the week? Try serving the enchilada sauce with…

Scrambled eggs (for breakfast)
Zucchini noodles, meatballs, and a source of fat (ie: avocado, pesto, pine nuts, etc.)
Chicken parmesan (use in place of marinara sauce for a spicer twist!)

How Do You Like to Serve Your Quinoa Casserole?

Comment your ideas below or share a picture of your recipe on our Facebook Group – we always love to see what you’re cooking!

Looking for More Ideas to Adapt Recipes and Use Leftovers?

Check out our downloadable meal planning classes. Each class comes with an eBook including a Specialized One-Week Meal Plan and Prep Sheet, or Specialized Recipes, as well as Additional Resources prepared by Chef Dawn Ludwig and Chef Kenzie Osborne. Each class also has the option to add-on downloadable presentation slides for more recipes and extra resources.

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

GBC Students John Loui Ricardo and Julius De Guia

Recipe from ALWAYS DELICIOUS by David Ludwig, MD, PhD, and Dawn Ludwig

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder, or to taste
½ tsp dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 (14.5 ounce can) diced tomatoes
¼ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp ground black pepper, to taste

Casserole

2 cups cooked quinoa
3 tbsp chopped Anaheim or other mild chile (about ½ chile)
2 cups cooked beans or drained and rinsed canned beans, such as black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, or a combination
8-9 sprigs cilantro, chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt, or more as needed
¼ tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
1 cup shredded cheese, such as cheddar or mozzarella
1 avocado, diced, for garnish
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Make the Enchilada Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir together the chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl.
Add the spices to the hot oil all at once. Cook, stirring, for a few seconds to allow the spices to become fragrant and infuse the oil with flavor without burning. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree directly in the pot with an immersion blender. (If the sauce is not deep enough to fully immerse the blender and prevent splattering, carefully transfer the sauce to a deep bowl or jar to blend. Return to the pan after blending.)
Simmer for 5 minutes more to slightly reduce the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Set aside. (This sauce can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and reheated for quicker prep.)

Make the Casserole

In a 9‑inch square casserole dish, combine the quinoa, enchilada sauce, chile, beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese evenly over the top.
Bake until bubbling and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with the avocado and fresh tomato.

Notes

Nutrition (Enchilada Casserole Only)

Fat: 21g

Carbohydrates: 54g

Protein: 20g

Calories: 478

Nutrition (Full Meal - Phase 1)

Substitute 1 pound extra-firm tofu (drained, pressed with an absorbent towel, crumbled, and seasoned with 3/4 teaspoon salt) or 2 cups cottage cheese for the quinoa. Garnish with 2 tablespoons plain whole-milk Greek yogurt. For dessert, enjoy 1 Chocolate Truffle (Always Delicious pg. 314)

Fat: 49%

Carbohydrates: 28%

Protein: 23%

Calories: 636

Nutrition (Full Meal - Phase 2 or 3)

Serve with 1/2 serving Baked Tofu (Always Delicious page 175; Chimichurri Variation). For dessert, have 1 cup strawberries.

Fat: 41%

Carbohydrates: 39%

Protein: 20%

Calories: 668

Keyword Phase 2, Vegetarian

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

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Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

How Do You Like to Serve Your Quinoa Casserole?

Looking for More Ideas to Adapt Recipes and Use Leftovers?