This crispy quinoa bake is actual healthy comfort food! It's a vegetarian casserole that's full of vegetables and irresistibly crispy!
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Really good vegetarian casseroles can be hard to come by, but this one has stood the test of time.
I've been making this recipe for years for my family and it always get rave reviews when I deliver it to friends or potlucks. It's loaded with interesting textures and flavors, and is one of those rare unicorns where the leftovers taste even better than the original!
Thousands of you have tried it, loved it, and made it your own. There's nothing I love better than when people send me photos of one of my recipes on their dinner table, waiting to be devoured.
Ingredients
- Quinoa
- Olive oil
- Vegetable stock
- Onion
- Green pepper
- Garlic
- Zucchini
- Black beans
- Diced green chiles
- Diced tomatoes
- Corn
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Chili powder
- Lime
- Salt
- Monterey jack cheese
- Cilantro
How to make crispy quinoa bake
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse throughly with cool water for at least two minutes. Drain.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, for about one minute. The quinoa should begin to dry out and pop a bit.
- Add the chicken stock. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes.
- Add garlic and zucchini and cook 5-10 more minutes, until the zucchini is soft and beginning to brown.
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork and place it in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, beans, green chiles, tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly and transfer to prepared baking dish.
- Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese, and bake 10 minutes more or until melted and just beginning to brown. Top with cilantro if desired.
Top tips
How to cook quinoa
Quinoa is easy to cook on the stovetop or in the instant pot. If you're unfamiliar with quinoa, be sure to check out the post I wrote on how to cook quinoa or how to cook quinoa in the instant pot to get quinoa that is perfect and fluffy every time!
How to store
Leftovers can be kept covered in the refigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the casserole, baked or unbaked, covered tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months.
How to reheat leftovers
My absolute favorite thing to do is reheat leftovers in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Make sure you stir/flip it frequently to prevent sticking and burning. The quinoa gets even crispier, and so does the cheese!
If you're cooking it after freezing, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. Everything in here is safe to eat as-is, but you may want to cook it a few extra minutes to ensure it is hot all the way through.
Tips for customizing crispy quinoa bake
- Make a few simple swaps to change this from Mexican inspired to Italian Quinoa Casserole, Quinoa Enchilada Casserole, Butternut Squash Casserole, or Broccoli Quinoa Casserole!
- Lightly spray a large, rimmed baking sheet (affiliate link) with cooking spray and spread the mixture thin before continuing to bake as directed for super crispiness all over
- Leave off the cheese for a vegan version
- Use whatever favorite veggies you have on hand such as broccoli, mushrooms, or spinach
- Increase the spice level by adding a minced jalapeño and using pepper jack cheese
- Fry leftovers in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat - this is basically a requirement and even better and crispier than the original - being sure to break up and flip the mixture frequently, adding even more cheese if desired!
FAQ
This is a canned item commonly found in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store. It is not the same as a pepper you would find in the produce section, but you could leave it out or substitute it with a regular pepper of your choice if you prefer.
More quinoa recipes
- Broccoli Pesto Quinoa Casserole
- Italian Quinoa Casserole
- Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Tofu
- Quinoa Taco Salad
- Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Vegetarian White Quinoa Chili
- Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Crispy Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced (about 1 medium)
- 1//2 green pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup zucchini, cubed (about 2 small)
- 15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ lime, juiced
- Salt
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse throughly with cool water for at least two minutes. Drain.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, for about one minute. The quinoa should begin to dry out and pop a bit. Add the vegetable stock. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and zucchini and cook 5-10 more minutes, until the zucchini is soft and beginning to brown.
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork and place it in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, beans, green chiles, tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly and transfer to prepared baking dish.
- Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese, and bake 10 minutes more or until melted and just beginning to brown.
Smitten Foodie says
This sounds so delicious, this might be the recipe to get the hubs to eat quinoa:)
Connie
Michelle King says
I love the comment about your husband asking if he was supposed to eat the "bucket" it comes in....lol...that is totally the type of comments I get from my other half. I'm glad to find recipes that I can hide peppers in. He'll eat them if he can't see them.
Thanks for the recipe.
carrie says
This looks great! Is it in a 9x13 (can't quite tell)?
Lindsay says
The photograph is a smaller dish but 9x13 is the appropriate size for the full recipe.
Karielyn says
Hi Lindsay! I made a vegan version of your recipe (actually twice!) and have it posted if you have any vegan readers that are interested http://thehealthyfamilyandhome.com/vegan-southwest-quinoa-bake/
Thanks for sharing, this is one of my favorites now! 🙂
Lindsay says
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing your vegan version!
Ruth Cooper says
I had all the ingredients except a zucchini - which I dont care for anyhow. This made a huge amount. Would be great for a potluck dish or when company is coming over. I had never made anything with Quinoa before and the fellas eyed it suspiciously but ate it up.
Brooke says
Could I make this ahead of time and just pop it in the oven to reheat it for dinner?
Lindsay says
Definitely!
Kristen says
Sounds wonderful and will definitely try it. Just wondering of any other good and tasty substitute for the can of diced tomatoes??? My daughter seems to be allergic and we have cut tomatoes out of the menu for now. I am running out of tomato-less ideas. Thanks!
Lindsay says
I would suggest just leaving them out and substituting more of the other vegetables such as peppers or beans.
Elizabeth says
Thank you so much for this. It is so good and filling. I will be sharing it with my family this week!
nannylaurie says
Do you have the nutrisioal breakdown?
Lindsay Moe says
Kristin says
I saw this recipe on pinterest, and clicked on it to read through the ingredients. I have to say, being a mom of a 9 month old, and struggling to get my head on each morning, this post made me giggle. I just wanted to thank you for the humor on a Thursday evening when I am contemplating going to bed early, or actually cleaning up after making dinner. Probably bed. Thanks again.
Lindsay Moe says
So glad I could make you smile! I hope you got some rest!
DianaM says
Great recipe! Thanks for posting. Love quinoa and good way to get in your veggies. I just used a can of Rotel instead of the tomatoes and chilies because I already had it.
Crystal says
This was my first time cooking with quinoa and loved the results. The casserole was delicious. I'm planing on making it with an Italian twist next. Thanks for sharing!
Lindsay Moe says
I'd never thought of an Italian twist! Sounds yum!
Miranda says
I'm in love!! I love quinoa anyway, and I'm sure my husband is tired of seeing it every night. But this was new, different, and delish! I cooked and added two boneless, skinless chicken breasts to mine. Im not a huge fan of green peppers, so I diced them up really good and didn't even know they were there. I also used the can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. This was a hit last night and also what Im having for lunch today! Im counting down until 12 o'clock! 🙂
Wendy says
Wow, I just made this and it is delicious!!! I shredded some pepper jack cheese for the top and used red quinoa. Thanks for the recipe! I'll definately make it again!
Tiffany says
Can you use freshly cut tomatoes/cherry tomatoes instead of canned? how much would you recommend?
Lindsay Moe says
Definitely! I would use one pint of cherry tomatoes halved or quartered or four romas seeded and chopped.