Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
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Published Nov 06, 2019, Updated Nov 04, 2021
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Cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole made healthy! This version has protein-packed quinoa instead of instant rice, freshly grated cheddar cheese and a homemade sauce instead of canned soup.
Last year I revamped my mom’s healthy sweet potato casserole recipe. I made it vegan and gluten-free and it was absolutely delish. Everyone at our Friendsgiving loved it! Since that recreation went well, this year I decided to try my hand at making a healthier version of her broccoli rice casserole recipe — with quinoa instead of rice!
Isaac requested that I still use regular cheese so this version isn’t dairy-free, but it’s still vegetarian, gluten-free and healthier than traditional broccoli cheese casserole. Woot woot! If you are vegan or dairy-free, you can always use a dairy-free shredded cheese and vegan butter instead of the real deal.
This casserole is almost identical to my mom’s version. It’s flavorful, cheesy and loaded with big broccoli florets (my favorite part)! I’m pretty sure my family would gobble this up without even realizing that I tweaked the recipe by using protein packed quinoa instead of instant rice, organic cheese and natural soup rather than the canned condensed stuff that’s loaded with extra sodium and fat.
Ingredients in This Healthy Broccoli Casserole
- quinoa
- fresh broccoli florets
- seasoning – yellow onion, garlic, salt and pepper
- cheddar cheese – I recommend using block of cheddar cheese for this recipe to skip the added ingredients and cost that comes with pre-shredded cheese! Shredding your own cheese only takes a few minutes. I used my food processor with the slicing blade and it was super simple.
- butter, milk and flour – to make a roux to thicken the sauce.
How to Make Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare the quinoa using water or vegetable broth, according to package directions. While the quinoa cooks, steam the broccoli florets until they’re bright green in color and tender. Shred the cheddar cheese and set aside. When your quinoa is fluffy and all of the liquid is absorbed, remove from the heat and place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add the broccoli to the quinoa.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together milk, flour and garlic powder and set aside. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant. Whisk the milk mixture into the saucepan and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken while whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheddar cheese until melted.
Pour the cheese sauce over the quinoa mixture. Toss well to combine. Transfer to your prepped baking dish and top with the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.
More Quinoa Recipes
- Mexican Quinoa Casserole
- Quinoa Risotto
- Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Casserole
- Quinoa Fried Rice
- Quinoa Stuffing
- Easy Quinoa Salad
Be sure to check out my guide for how to cook quinoa as well as all of the quinoa recipes here on EBF.
Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, I love Ancient Harvest
- 2 cups water or low sodium broth, for cooking quinoa
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons oat flour, all-purpose will work too
- 1 cup milk, I used unsweetened almond milk
- 8 oz block of good quality cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Lightly coat a casserole dish (I used an 8×8 square dish) with non-stick spray or lightly grease.
- Prepare quinoa using water or broth, according to package directions. You should end up with about 3 cups of cooked, fluffy quinoa. Place in a large mixing bowl.
- While quinoa is cooking, steam broccoli for 5-6 minute or until bright green and crisp tender.
- Meanwhile, shred cheese by using a food processor with the shredding attachment or with a handheld grater.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour milk mixture into saucepan with the onions and garlic. Allow sauce to simmer, whisking continuously until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
- Pour cheese sauce over quinoa and broccoli. Toss well to combine.
- Transfer to greased baking dish and top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the casserole is heated through and cheese has melted. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My hubby’s favorite fall comfort food is Panera’s broccoli cheese soup. I will definitely make this for him since it’s such a healthier alternative!
Hooray! I hope he loves it.
Great use for my bags of quinoa. Always looking for more great batch recipes. Thanks!
Me too!! I hope you get to try this one. 🙂
Most of your recipes am following in India
So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes! And thank you for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Do you know the sodium content? I am trying to find some lower sodium items to make. This one looks yummy.
Hi Debra. Just added the sodium content to the recipe for you.
How do you recommend adding chicken to this recipe? My husband is all about the meat lol
I would add shredded or pre-cooked chicken to the dish before baking it.
This recipe was so delicious it turned out really really well! My kids helped me make it, and they ate it too and it was very tasty! I highly recommend it.
I’m so happy to hear that both you and your kids enjoyed this casserole! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I have made this a couple of times. It means my husband eats healthy without knowing it. When he hears cheese is in it then he loves it. I don’t need to mention quinoa.
Woot woot! So glad the cheese factor of this recipe makes it so that your hubs is on board. And thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it.
My husband and I love this recipe! We add shredded chicken to add a little extra protein. It reminds me of my mother’s broccoli and cheese casserole but this one is much healthier! It’s been making almost weekly appearances to our Sunday meal prep!
Woot woot!! That makes me so happy to hear, Kacie. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it!
Such a yummy way to serve quinoa! I can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers tomorrow!
Yay!! So glad you tried and enjoyed this recipe, Stacy! I so appreciate you coming back to leave a comment + star rating. 🙂
This looks delicious! Have you ever frozen this and cooked at a later time?
I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but I’m sure it would do just fine! Let me know if you end up trying it and how it turns out.
This was a delicious and versatile recipe to make. If I don’t have quinoa, I use brown rice instead. If I want to add extra protein, I add chicken. My husband and I love to drizzle it with chipotle hot sauce. YUM!
Yay!! So glad you and your husband enjoyed this casserole, Lisbeth. Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
This recipe looks amazing. Do you think I can substitute the oat flour for almond flour? Thank you!
Hey Dana – I think that almond would work just fine. You can also use AP if you have that. 🙂
Can you use frozen broccoli in this recipe?
Yes! You should be able to just add the frozen broccoli straight to the casserole for baking. 🙂
Made this last night and it’s a keeper (and even better the next day)!
Some tweaks I made:
– I used 1:1 GF flour (Bob’s Red Mill) and it worked like a charm.
– Added some GF bread crumbs + butter to the topping – would definitely recommend this! I overcooked the broc (oops) so this gave a nice crunch that would’ve been missing.
– Also added smoked paprika to the mixture and the topping for extra flavor and color – it worked great here.
Thanks for the great recipe! Will be a summer WFH lunch staple, I can already tell.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish, Kat!! Thanks for sharing the subs you made, it’s super helpful to other readers. 🙂
I loved this dish! It was one of my first recipes of yours to try. I even tossed in some cauliflower too. Delicious dish – thanks, Brittany!
When do you add the salt and pepper? The recipe doesn’t say.
Hey Charlotte – Sorry for the confusion, you should add it with the garlic powder and milk. I just updated the recipe so it’s in there now. 🙂
Loved this recipe! My kids ate it up and it’s easy to make for a week night meal 🙌🏻
Yay!! So glad this recipe was a hit with your kiddos. 🙂 Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I appreciate it!
Do you think I could substitute cauliflower instead of broccoli? Just currently out of broccoli!
Totally! I think that would work just fine. 🙂
I came across your Instagram awhile ago and I’m so glad I did I’ve made many of your recipes and they are all so easy and delicious! This is one of my fav weeknight meals! Thank you for creating and sharing all these recipes!! 🙂
Ahh yay! I’m so glad you’ve been loving the recipes, Kena. 🙂
Wanted to know if you can use two percent milk instead of almond. Made before with almond. Just curious
Totally! Any milk will work.
Very tasty and satisfying. A good recipe for diabetics.
I made this recipe over 6 months ago and loved it. I wanted to leave a review now because I JUST defrosted the frozen leftovers and the casserole is just as tasty as the day I made it! 6 months later 😋 My only tweak would be to go scant on the onion. I found the onion flavor to be a bit strong for my taste. Thanks for the great adaptation!!
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad to hear that this casserole froze well and still tasted good. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it, Natalie.
As some one who replied “casserole” when asked their favorite food, this casserole is a favorite to top the favorite list. Was expecting a broccoli/rice/chicken divan dish but this far exceeded that in texture and taste. Definitely a dish that we will make frequently!
Ahh yay! So glad you loved this casserole, Brennan. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Hey! I am making this tomorrow evening and I was wondering if I could use regular flour as I am trying to get rid of things before I venture out into other things. BTW, this looks divine!
Hey Joy! Yes, all-purpose flour will work just fine – I note that in the blog post. 🙂
This is so delicious. I’ve been eating it all week, and want to make it again for this week’s prep. I add a little grilled chicken and it is just a perfect meal. Thank you!
Ahh yay, so glad this casserole has been a hit! I appreciate you coming back to leave a comment + star rating. 🙂
I can’t wait to make this recipe for Thanksgiving! Do you think I can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until I reheat it on Thursday?
Hey Allison – I think that would be just fine! 🙂 Let me know how this turns out for you!
Super delicious! Great for a side, main course, or potluck dish. I loved how comparatively low in fat and high in protein it was. Totally deserves 5 stars!
Ahh thank you, Madeline. So glad this casserole was a hit! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I appreciate it. 🙂
This recipe was fantastic! Easy to make and so delicious!! So glad you posted it and now I have a new dish to make!! Thank you!
Loved this! I just made it for lunch. I cut the recipe down so that I wasn’t eating it all week. I could see this going well Andouille sausage. YUM!
This was my first time making a roux this way — usually I mix the flour in with the butter before adding the milk, but I liked this technique and plan to use it for my next mac’n’cheese. 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe, Brittany!
You’re so welcome, Kelly! I’m so glad this dish was a hit. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Great recipe. Love, LOVE that you list nutritional info, that’s a biggie for me.
Have made this a few times now. I’ve increased the broccoli by a cup or two and increased the sauce by half. Our family is big on the broccoli/rice casserole and we like spice so ours is made with jalapeños. Just added jalapeños to this already amazing recipe- perfection! Cannot wait to make for family gathering.
So glad you’re loving this recipe!! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
I’m pretty new to quinoa and roux but had to give this a try. I was not disappointed! I used oat milk and gluten-free flour and added in a handful of pine nuts. We aren’t big on onions, so I left them out. This casserole turned out amazing and will be a regular on our dinner table, as a side or with shredded chicken added in. Thank you!
Confession time: I liked it so much, I made it again for a second night in a row! 🙂 This time, though, I used Swiss cheese and a broccoli/cauliflower/carrot blend… it was a great switch up! It’s just me and hubs, so I split it up in 3 containers and froze 2 for later – helloooo meal prep! 🙂
One question- isn’t 2 cups equal to 8oz? If you add 2 cups of cheese to the mixture where are you getting the leftover cheese top top with?
Hey Paige – I think what happens is that I measured 2 cups and loosely threw the cheese in the measuring cup so I had a bit leftover! So my cheese was packed loosely vs. tightly packed! Hopefully that helps. 🙂
Added orzo and rice to the quinoa (all I had was black quinoa, and used alfredo sauce (all I had) would have been a 5 star if I had the right ingredients). I had never heard of friendship before I was put off until I looked up the meaning. Thanks for the update to my vocabulary..
So glad you enjoyed these casserole, Bob! Thanks for the review 🙂
Really loved the recipe though I used coconut instead of almond milk. Well done and thank you!
So glad this recipe was a hit!! Thanks for the review, Caroline. I really appreciate it!
We enjoyed this casserole. It was easy, tasty and leftovers will be great! I had been looking for a casserole using quinoa
So happy to hear you enjoyed this casserole, Elaine! Thanks so much for making it and coming back to leave a review and star rating. I really appreciate it!
Mom and toddler approved. Delicious!
Yay!! So happy to hear this, Dee. Thanks for the review!
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and my family loved it! I plan on making it again and was wondering you think I should reheat it if I’m making it ahead of time. Thanks!
I would reheat it in the oven before serving! So glad this recipe was a hit last year!!
Thank you so much! I made this tonight and we love it! My husband and I are delighted to have a non rice version of a casserole we love. I did use half and half though, in place of the almond milk, but will try it another time using the almond milk.
Amazing! I’m so glad to hear that you all enjoyed this casserole, Julie! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating!
Delicious. But letting everyone in on a secret: this casserole might–emphasize might– feed 4 people, with a bit left over for lunch. NOT the 10 servings given in the recipe. So really double the calories. But delicious and healthy even so.
Hi, Rsp. Thank you so much for the comment and review. I’m glad you enjoyed the casserole! I can see the confusion with the serving size here. The serving size is 10 on this because it was developed as a side dish recipe. Growing up we always had broccoli rice and cheese casserole as a side and not a main dish. That said, it can totally be served as a vegetarian meal, but it definitely wouldn’t serve 10 in that case, as you mentioned. Thanks again for coming back to leave your feedback.
I truly love this recipe! I have made it several times and have given the link for this recipe to several people. It is so amazing just as it is a easy to add in a few things to make it your own. I’ve added cooked chicken a couple times and my coworker said he threw in a little ranch and bacon. A great, healthy recipe that can easily be changed up if desired (but not necessary)!
YAY! I am so happy to hear that you are living this recipe, Shealaina. Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!