Chicken - Broccoli - Quinoa Casserole

Comfort food hits the spot during these last chilly weeks of winter. Try this creamy and flavorful quinoa casserole for a supper that will warm up the whole family.

From the Kitchen of Sarah McCullen

2 cups chicken broth 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning ½ cup flour

4 slices bacon

½ cup diced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 cups water, divided 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 1 pound chicken breasts

1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon plus one tablespoon salt, divided

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend 3 cups fresh broccoli florets

Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, bring the chicken broth to a boil. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together milk, poultry seasoning and flour until smooth. Add mixture to boiling chicken broth, and stir until well combined and thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until brown and crispy. Remove, crumble and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté onion and garlic in bacon grease until softened. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 cup of water, quinoa and crumbled bacon. Add thickened chicken broth mixture to the quinoa and stir. Then stir in the sautéed onion and garlic and 1 tablespoon salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

In the skillet used to sauté the onions, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook chicken in the hot skillet, about 2 minutes on each side. Once brown, add chicken to the quinoa mixture, and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

While baking, cut and rinse the broccoli. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add broccoli and blanch in boiling water until bright green, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

After baking for 20 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the broccoli and half of the cheese. Top with the rest of the cheese, and bake another 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.