Dairy Free Creamy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

So, I adapted this dairy free creamy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole recipe from a fellow blogger, A Pinch of Yum, who is an amazing blogger but I just had a few tweaks to make to her recipe. By substituting the pasta for quinoa, this recipe is packed with protein and is low carb.  This dairy free chicken broccoli casserole recipe also proves that you do not need heavy cream to make a dish creamy.  – Kara, The Accidental Chef

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup of 2% milk or Macadamia Nut Milk
• 1/2 cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 2 4 oz pieces of skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bite size pieces
• 3 cups of broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cup of finely shredded VEGAN Parmesan cheese (I use follow your heart brand which is dairy free)
• 1 tbsp of parsley flakes
• 1 tsp of poultry seasoning
• 2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• Olive oil spray
• 1/4 cup of gluten free Italian Breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with the olive oil. Be sure to coat this on the pan as this recipe does tend to stick to the sides of the dish.

Over a medium-large saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil on a medium heat level.

Once it begins to boil add the 1 cup of milk, poultry seasoning, cheese, and flour into the pan.

Whisk the mixture around until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Remove the mixture from heat and pour it into a large bowl.

Add the quinoa and one cup of water.

Place the broccoli florets into the baking pan first, then add the quinoa mixture, and then place the chicken on top of it all.

Add the garlic powder, black pepper, and parsley flakes on top. Then add the breadcrumbs.

Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes.

Check to make sure the quinoa has cooked fully – it should be popped open. If they haven’t popped yet keep cooking it but make sure to stir the mixture so as to not overcook the chicken.

To serve, you can sprinkle more parsley and cayenne pepper to give it a bit of a kick!

Serves: 6 | Calories per serving: 216 | Fat: 9.2 g | Carbs: 13.8 g | Net Carbs: 11.2 g | Protein: 22.7 g