Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

I think I've been on a Mexican food kick lately cause I've been posting a lot of Mexican food recipes. Honestly, Mexican food is one of my favorite things to cook and eat. We have it every Monday and I love trying new recipes. My kids don't always love it so we try to stick with some good old favorites every few weeks to keep them happy too.

This is another healthy, delicious (and easy) recipe shared with me by my sister-in-law Lisa. I altered it a bit by adding more quinoa and less meat to make it even healthier. Also using the corn flour adds more nutrition as well. It's a very satisfying, delicious meal and makes yummy leftovers. Enjoy.



Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
Printable Recipe

*Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup quinoa (any color)
4-1/4 Cup water, divided
3/4 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 Cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. chili powder
3/4 Cup flour (I use corn flour from freshly ground popcorn)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt + more to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper + more to taste
12 white corn tortillas
3/4 lbs. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream, diced avocados, lettuce and tomato, for serving

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small sauce pan add the quinoa and 1-14 Cups of water. Heat to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until water is completely absorbed and quinoa is tender and displays a curly white thread.

While quinoa is cooking, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey. Add the onions and saute for a 3-5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add the cooked quinoa, the oregano, chili powder, flour, tomato sauce, minced garlic, salt and pepper and let heat to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Prepare corn tortillas by tearing them into 2" pieces (they do not need to be uniform). In a 9x13 casserole dish, add about a third of the sauce mixture, then a third of the tortilla strips, then a third of the grated cheese. Repeat these layers in order two more times, making sure the top layer is cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced avocados on top with a side of lettuce and tomato.

Recipe Source: Adapted from my sister-in-law Lisa's recipe