Asparagus, Chicken, & Quinoa Casserole

Good afternoon, lovely readers.

This blog, that I have been writing for 5 years, is a chronicle of all of my cooking adventures. I've been through quite a few phases of different styles of cooking for my family. When I was living with my parents, I shared many large, family friendly, and healthy dishes. When I got married, I started cooking a lot of "dinner for two" recipes, romantic and adventurous dishes. 

Now, I've started cooking a lot of healthy but fattening foods for my toddler that seems to live on air. These are dishes that S and I can enjoy and are very nutritious for our little one. Today's recipe is one of these dishes, something that I might cook on a week night. 

I've posted several recipes using quinoa in the past and written about its health benefits as well. One can definitely call quinoa a superfood. It is a great source of protein and vitamins and will give the little one enough energy for his whole day. You can replace asparagus with broccoli if you prefer to give the dish an additional boost of calcium, very important for little baby bones. Best part is, this recipe is baby approved! Y loved it and I'm sure you and your family will too.

So give it a try and good luck in the kitchen!

Asparagus, Chicken, & Quinoa Casserole
(Serves 6-8)

2 tbs butter
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups organic whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tbs Italian seasoning
1/2 tbs cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 lb chicken, cut into small bite size pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
2/3 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Melt the butter in an oven safe pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until it is well combined, no lumps. You may need to add a little bit of chicken broth  to get it to a good consistency. Cook it for an additional minute and slowly add both liquids, milk and broth, while constantly stirring so no lumps form. Add in all the seasonings to taste. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients, except cheese and bread crumbs, into the sauce until well combined.

Top with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake covered for 45 minutes until the quinoa has sprouted and uncovered for 10 minutes until cheese is golden brown. The sauce will become creamier as the quinoa absorbs it. Serve warm and enjoy!