Quinoa Turkey Bake

Have you jumped on the quinoa bandwagon? If you haven't, you may want to try quinoa sometime in the near future. Quinoa is a nearly perfect food. It is nutritionally balanced, making it a great choice for: athletes, those who are trying to lose weight, individuals with an intolerance for wheat (as long as you purchase quinoa that has not been packaged in an environment where cross-contamination may occur), and just about anyone seeking to add an additional healthy food into his/her diet.

Introducing quinoa into my children's dietary repertoire hasn't been without its share of kinks. First of all, quinoa looks a lot different than rice, it has a different texture, and it's flavor is in a league of its own.That being said, the more I make it, the more my kids eat it without complaints.

I have recently started searching for quinoa recipes, and you can find my growing recipe list on my Pinterest board dedicated to, quinoa.

In the hopes of creating an edible meal, I decided to experiment with some of the ingredients I had on hand, and a little inspiration from some casseroles I once made with brown rice.

Ingredients Needed: 

1 1/2 C. Uncooked Quinoa
2 1/2 lbs. Ground Turkey
5 Handfuls Raw Spinach (chopped)
1/2 - 1 Whole White Onion (chopped)
4-5 Cloves Garlic (chopped)
1 10 3/4 oz. Can Tomato Soup
3/4 Soup Can of Water
1/4 C. Plain Bread Crumbs
3 C. Grated Colby Jack Cheese (you may choose to substitute other types of cheese)
1 15.25 oz. Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 tsp. Dried Basil
1/8 tsp. Dried Thyme

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop spinach, onion, and garlic (to your chunkiness liking). Cook quinoa according to the directions on the package. Cook ground turkey until juices run clear, and meat is fully cooked (do not overcook the turkey, or it will be dry). Once the quinoa is done, add the cooked ground turkey (I combine these ingredients in a large mixing bowl). Add a bit of olive oil to the pan that you used to cook the ground turkey. Once the olive oil is heated, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Saute the onions and garlic until they are lightly browned. Next, add the chopped spinach into the pan, along with the onions and garlic. Saute the spinach until it becomes slightly wilted.

Add the onions, garlic, and spinach into the quinoa/ground turkey mixture. Gently stir ingredients together. Next, add one full can of tomato soup. Mix together, and then fill the tomato soup can 3/4 of the way full, with water. Add the water to the mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs into your casserole mixture, and blend well.Gently add, 2 cups of grated Colby Jack cheese, and 15.25 ounces of black beans (drained and rinsed). Mix in 1/4 tsp. dried basil, and 1/8 tsp. dried thyme (you may want to add more, or less, spices to meet your specific taste requirements). Mix all ingredients until well incorporated.

Make sure that you spray your casserole dish with olive oil BEFORE you add your quinoa mixture.Lightly scoop your casserole mixture into your casserole dish. Do not pack the mixture into the dish too tightly. Sprinkle 1 cup of Colby Jack cheese on top of your casserole.

Place casserole into preheated 375º oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until casserole is warm, and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

*Please Note: 

My family felt that the casserole could have used a little bit of spice/zing. So, I suggest that you might add a little salsa, or chipotle dressing to the top of your individual serving of Quinoa Casserole.