Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

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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!

Baking dish with cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole. A wood spoon and dish towel are around the dish.

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.

Baking dish with cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole. A wood spoon and dish towel are around the dish.

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.
Wood spoon, spooning up a serving of cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole.

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.

Baking dish with cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole. A wood spoon and dish towel are around the dish.

More Quinoa Recipes

Be sure to check out my guide for how to cook quinoa as well as all of the quinoa recipes here on EBF.

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4.19 from 65 votes

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

Cheesy broccoli quinoa casserole made healthy! This version has protein-packed quinoa, fresh broccoli florets and a homemade sauce instead of canned soup.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 10

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

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 523mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli quinoa casserole
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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77 Comments

  1. 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?

    1. 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. 🙂

  2. 4 stars
    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..

  3. 5 stars
    Really loved the recipe though I used coconut instead of almond milk. Well done and thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    We enjoyed this casserole. It was easy, tasty and leftovers will be great! I had been looking for a casserole using quinoa

    1. 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!

  5. 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!

  6. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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!

  7. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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.

  8. 5 stars
    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)!

    1. 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!