Recipe: Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese

This side dish – Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese, is the third in my series of Quinoa recipes as I try to marry my passion for health and wellness with my passion for cooking.

I hope you will try this dish – it really is worth the effort.  Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese is absolutely lovely, nutritious and healthy.  This recipe serves between 8 – 10 persons.

For other Quinoa recipes in this series check out:  Cooking for Life:  Low Glycemic Quinoa Cookup
and Cooking for Life:  Curried Quinoa.  Interested in getting the nutrition low-down on Quinoa?  Check out this post on Quinoa Nutrition.

Here’s the recipe for Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese:

2 c quinoa – rinsed
2 – 6oz bags baby spinach
3 oz mushrooms (2 cups finely chopped)
1 medium onion – finely diced
2 c chicken stock (heated)
1/2 c white wine
3 tbs olive oil
1/4 each of the following cheeses: Philadelphia Cream Cheese – not fat; parmesan cheese and gruyere cheese
1 tsp salt

Preparation

• Grease a 10 x 10 casserole dish and preheat oven to 350°
• Grate 1/4 cup of parmesan and 1/4 cup of gruyere cheese and set aside. Measure 1/4 cup of Fat Free Philadelphia Creme cheese and set aside.
• Chop mushrooms and onion into small pieces.
• Wash quinoa thoroughly using a strainer.
• Grease a 10 x 10 casserole dish and preheat oven to 350°

Cooking instructions

1. Using a large skillet add 2 tbs olive oil and cook onions and mushrooms over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir while cooking.
2. Add rinsed quinoa and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Using a small saucepan add 1/4 cup of Philadelphia Non Fat Cream cheese and 1/2 cup white wine. Wisk until smooth.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add Cream cheese mixture to quinoa then add salt.
5. Using a large skillet add 1 tbs olive oil and wilt spinach over medium heat.

Assembly
Layer ingredients in the following order:

• 1/2 quinoa mixture
• wilted spinach
• 1/4 cup grated gruyere cheese
• 1/2 quinoa mixture
• Slowly pour in 2 cups of heated chicken stock

Cover and bake for 30 minutes in a 350° oven. Remove from oven, add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and return uncovered to a 450° oven for 5 minutes until golden brown.   Serve warm.

This side dish will serve between 8 and 10 persons.  Enjoy!

Watch cooking video here: