My grandma always brings a yummy casserole to our holiday parties, and I thought that I could recreate it, just a bit healthier.  You know…no cream of something soup or cheese wiz.  I don’t think grandma does cheese wiz, but some people put it in. 

Yuk.

I replaced the traditional rice with quinoa, which has more protein and less starch.  It is a healthy replacement in casseroles that call for rice.

Brian really liked it, and the kids ate it…so it’s a winner!

Recipe:

1 package broccoli (I had the steam-in-bag for the microwave)
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Microwave the brocolli for the lowest amount of time to steam it (4.5 minutes was on the bag).  You don’t want it mushy.

Rinse the quinoa a few times and then cook in the broth just like rice.  I have a microwave rice cooker, so I had it ready to go in about the time the broccoli was finished. I usually cook it for 18 minutes.  Otherwise, just cook quinoa like you would cook rice on the stovetop.  You don’t really need to add any butter or salt, as the broth has enough.

Saute the onion in 1 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Take them out and then saute the mushrooms.  I used a non-stick pan, so I didn’t add anymore fat to the pan to saute them.

While those are cooking up, mix the sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and 1.5 cups of cheese all together.

Take the broccoli out of the package and mince into bite sized pieces.

When the quinoa is finished cooking, mix everything together, setting aside 1/2 cup of cheese for the top.  Press into a lightly sprayed small baking dish (8×8 should work – I used a round one), and top with remaining cheese.  Mine was slightly soupy, but the quinoa absorbed the liquid as it continued cooking.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving so it can firm up.