Chicken & Veggie Quinoa Casserole

Oh bright yellowy goodness 💛 🌞 (That would be homemade cashew cheese sauce y’all)

I came up with this recipe on the fly because I wanted something filling and easy to make that I could store in the fridge and eat for several days with zero effort to prepare. And so this cheesy Chicken & Veggie Quinoa Casserole was born 👶

It’s got loads of protein coming from the Beyond Meat chicken strips and quinoa, good fats from the cashews, and anti-inflammatory properties in the turmeric. Plus, it’s utterly delicious and you will wolf it down faster than you can blink 🐺 Not to mention, like all of my other recipes, it’s vegan and gluten free!

You should be able to find Beyond Meat products in the frozen aisle with the other vegetarian/vegan items at most grocery stores and health foods stores. The Lightly Seasoned Strips or the Grilled Chicken Strips both work. Pick your fav. They taste similar and cooked in with all the other ingredients, will end in the same tasty result.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup quinoa, soaked overnight in water
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in water
• 1/2 bag of Beyond Meat Lightly Seasoned or Grilled Chicken Strips
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh spinach
• 1 8oz package of button mushrooms, sliced
• a handful of small broccoli florets
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper
• garlic powder
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• about 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, more as needed
• 1 cap full of apple cider vinegar
• water

STEPS:

1. Drain and rinse quinoa. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add quinoa, and cook on medium heat until fluffy and all water is absorbed. It should only take about 15 or 20 minutes if you soak beforehand. Season the quinoa with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic. Once it starts browning, place the chicken strips in the pan and add the rest of the veggies around them so everything can cook and simmer together on medium heat, cover if desired. Turn the chicken strips over after about 7-10 mins or until golden on bottom. Season veggies as well. Set the chicken strips aside once cooked.
3. Drain and rinse the cashews. Place in a blender with the turmeric, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until you have a thick cheese sauce. If it’s too thick and won’t blend, add a little water. If you want it to taste cheesier, add more nutritional yeast. If you want to brighten the color, add more turmeric. I recommend starting slow with the turmeric because if you add too much it can overwhelm the sauce.
4. Drizzle a little olive oil into a small casserole dish and use a paper towel to spread it around to coat the pan. Add the quinoa as the first layer and use a spatula to spread evenly. Then add your veggie mixture. Cut the chicken strips into cubes and sprinkle around. Finish with a smooth layer of the cheese sauce.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until everything is nice and toasty, about 15-20 mins. Store in fridge in sealed container.

Chicken & Veggie Quinoa Casserole

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Filling and easy to make recipe that is loaded with protein, fiber, good fats, and anti-inflammatory properties. It's vegan, gluten free, and keeps well in the fridge!

Author: Jillian

Recipe type: Dinner

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup quinoa, soaked overnight in water
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in water
• ½ bag of Beyond Meat Lightly Seasoned or Grilled Chicken Strips
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1½ cups frozen or fresh spinach
• 1 8oz package of button mushrooms, sliced
• a handful of small broccoli florets
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper
• garlic powder
• juice from ½ lemon
• about 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast, more as needed
• 1 cap full of apple cider vinegar
• water

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse quinoa. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add quinoa, and cook on medium heat until fluffy and all water is absorbed. It should only take about 15 or 20 minutes if you soak beforehand. Season the quinoa with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic. Once it starts browning, place the chicken strips in the pan and add the rest of the veggies around them so everything can cook and simmer together on medium heat, cover if desired. Turn the chicken strips over after about 7-10 mins or until golden on bottom. Season veggies as well. Set the chicken strips aside once cooked.
3. Drain and rinse the cashews. Place in a blender with the turmeric, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until you have a thick cheese sauce. If it's too thick and won't blend, add a little water. If you want it to taste cheesier, add more nutritional yeast. If you want to brighten the color, add more turmeric. I recommend starting slow with the turmeric because if you add too much it can overwhelm the sauce.
4. Drizzle a little olive oil into a small casserole dish and use a paper towel to spread it around to coat the pan. Add the quinoa as the first layer and use a spatula to spread evenly. Then add your veggie mixture. Cut the chicken strips into cubes and sprinkle around. Finish with a smooth layer of the cheese sauce.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until everything is nice and toasty, about 15-20 mins. Store in fridge in sealed container.

3.5.3208

I hope you love it!

Jillian 💙