Enjoy the great flavors of enchiladas with this guilt-free casserole. Delicious and full of quinoa, cheese and homemade enchilada sauce, this kid-approved recipe is perfect for dinner!
Mexican food is one of my faves! And, chips and salsa are my weakness. I find myself adding at least one Mexican dish each week to our dinner menu… and there are no complaints from the others, because they love Mexican food too! But… there is one down side to Mexican food (gasp!) I hate the way I feel after a meal at a Mexican restaurant. I get that food coma feeling…you know what I’m talking about?? That feeling of needing a nap, ASAP. I LOVE the bold flavors of enchiladas, tamales, and tacos. But I HATE the way I feel afterwards. So I try my best to replicate those fabulous flavors, but in a healthier way so I avoid feeling like a zombie after a meal.
Enchiladas are SO good, but at times it can be time consuming, especially when you make the sauce from scratch and use fresh meats. This recipe uses fresh meat (not canned) and homemade sauce but you will have dinner on the table in under an hour! Plus, it’s all done in one pot!
Yes, you read that right. Only one pot needed for this delicious enchilada casserole with quinoa and homemade sauce! One pot meals are simply the BEST. I hate having to bring out several pots and pans to make dinner and cleanup is the worst when you have loads of dishes at the end of just one meal. Let’s be real, we don’t have time for that. This recipe makes cleanup a breeze!
This casserole is a crowd pleaser. It’s loaded with that yummy red enchilada sauce and it’s so cheesy! I like using a blend of cheeses, half pepper jack and half sharp cheddar. Using pepper jack cheese took this casserole to the next level!
Nutritious quinoa is used instead of tortilla and requires no rolling or stacking! And, you get the added protein and fiber that most tortillas won’t provide. The meat I use depends on what I have on hand, ground turkey and ground beef are both great. I bet shredded chicken would be excellent too! I have also made this a vegetarian meal for meatless Mondays. Just replace the ground meat with a can of black beans (drained) and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. It’s just as good!
My son said this casserole is one of his favorite dishes! Yes, it’s up there with pizza! Kid approved, one pot, dinner in under an hour… I know this will be one of our frequent dinner requests. And to be honest, I’m A-OK with that 🙂
One Pot Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey or ground beef
- ¾ cup quinoa rinsed and uncooked
- 4.5 oz chopped green chilies
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped, divided
- 2 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder divided
- 3 teaspoons cumin divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons oregano divided
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar, monetary jack, pepper jack
- 1 tomato diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In an oven safe skillet or Dutch oven, brown the turkey over medium heat, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks and season with 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp salt, ½ teaspoon of chili powder, ½ tsp smoked paprika, and 1/2 tsp of oregano. Cook for about 5 minutes. *It does not need to be cooked all the way, it will continue to cook with the quinoa.
- Add the broth, tomato sauce, 2 Tbsp of chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp onion powder. Stir well. Add quinoa and stir until completely incorporated. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Stirring once as the quinoa cooks.
- Lift the lid to see if quinoa has “popped” open. If not, place the lid back on and cook for additional 5 minutes. *Some quinoa are bigger and may require additional time to cook.
- Once the quinoa is done, add green chilies, corn, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, half of the diced tomatoes, and ½ cup of the shredded cheese. Stir well.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese to the top and place it in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cilantro and tomatoes on top and serve.