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.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
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.
Very tasty and satisfying. A good recipe for diabetics.
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.
Do you think I could substitute cauliflower instead of broccoli? Just currently out of broccoli!
Totally! I think that would work just fine. 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
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!