Recipe: Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Quinoa. I'm obsessed with the stuff. It's so incredibly good for you so you don't feel so bad about adding a half-pound of cheese to it!

This dish is also packed with veggies. We went with red bell peppers, mushrooms & onions. But you can really put your own spin on it with whatever you'd like. Spinach & artichoke? Yum! Tomatoes, mozzarella & basil? Mmhmm. Prosciutto & parmesan? Aren't you fancy.

Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Barely adapted from Moni Meals

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed & drained

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Accent)

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken stock

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated & divided

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, mushrooms & seasonings. Cook 5 minutes until tender. Stir in quinoa and garlic, cook 5 minutes until grains turn opaque.

2. Add chicken stock. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 25 minutes or until most of liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 350' F. Coat glass baking dish with cooking spray (we used a 6-cup rectangular Pyrex). Whisk together eggs & milk in a large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and 3/4 of the cheese. Stir well.

4. Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish and top evenly with remaining cheese. Bake 40 minutes or until browned around the edges. Let cool a few minutes before serving.