The Covered Dish - Mexican Quinoa Casserole

For the first time in like forever, I haven’t eaten a single meal out this week. Not that I over indulge in eating out, I’ve just been cooking a great deal and there’s really been no good excuse to eat out. This week I made about 16-17 Salmon patties for the deep freeze. I hate to brag, but they are so yummy on a bun, they give a hamburger a run for the money. This batch was a bit unique in comparison to my salmon patty recipe which ran in the column earlier this year or last. Why? I picked up my organic liquid smoke and put a few shots in the batch. You don’t want to go overboard because some greatly dislike the taste of smoke. Several years ago I gave up using liquid smoke because of the amount of ‘bad’ things in the grocery shelf choices. At that time I turned to one I found on line, from the West coast, that contains no nitrates.
A few shots can even go inside your next pan of baked beans. Remember; be gentle, don’t do too much.
This week’s Quinoa casserole is one of my all-time favorites. It was originally written around 2018 or 2019. I remember I was concerned the guests at the culinary school wouldn’t ‘go for it’. I was totally surprised, it became one of our favorite recipes that season. For those watching their carbohydrate intake quinoa is definitely another route to travel.
Quinoa comes in different colors, which I take advantage of in this recipe. I’m certain with just a bit of creativity you could take this dish in a new direction, perhaps with seafood instead of chicken.
One thing I like to do in the fall prep department is to make a large, and I do mean large mixture of quinoa, barley, wild rice, black beans, peppers, onions, celery, tomatoes, dried fruits, and even nuts. You can add a meat to the mixture and make work lunches, or sometimes I just freeze up the cooked mixture and add it to a piece of grilled meat with a salad. Makes a meal come together very quickly. Last weeks wild rice is all ready cooked and in the freezer just for this.
The Quinoa casserole relies upon generous spices to enhance the flavors of the ingredients within. In the 50’s and 60’s we observed lots of what I’ll call minimalist cooking styles. Salt and pepper were the standard additives in cooking to enhance flavors. Another culprit, even today is to throw in cheeses to
enhance a recipe. Now we are covering with the cheeses and adding a great deal more calories. When spices were added it was with a tempered hand and their presence often went unobserved.
Now, one thing I will note is when you work with fresh spices like chili powders they can be more vibrant when they are brand new, so handle with care. One thing I have heard over the years from cooks is the desire to know what enhances their dishes the best. I think this is more of a ‘learned’ technique. Today we combine herbs and spices that 30 years ago we would have never combined, for example mint and tomatoes. Another easy tip today with technology is to research recipes from leading chefs and see what they’re doing.
You’re not ‘cheating’ you’re getting ideas, just remember not to duplicate someone’s recipe without serious re-wording and ingredient modifications.
This week I’m putting most of this casserole together and freezing it for a later time. I am going to make sure there are extra tomatoes on hand, in the event the dish seems dry upon thawing. The cheese is also going to be added at baking time.
Enjoy the recipe, it needs a light salad and the dinner meal is complete.
Simply Yours, The Covered Dish.

Mexican Quinoa Casserole
3 tablespoons light olive oil
1⁄2 cup chopped celery
1 average green pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups chicken broth, for quinoa
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast
(2 large chicken breasts usually yields 3 cups.)
1 can drained & rinsed black beans, (15.5oz.)
1 can (15.5 oz.) fire roasted tomatoes
1⁄2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Chopped cilantro to taste
Prior to day of making cook chicken breasts and chop. Prepare quinoa according to box instructions. Chop vegetables and saute in olive oil until tender throughout, add warm black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. Bring warm meat, hot quinoa, vegetables and spices together. Lastly stir in cheeses. Serve immediately. Should you decide to bake the dish additional tomatoes and cheese may be needed. Stir in cilantro if desired. This would work well as an enchilada fill or with stuffed peppers. Yields a 9 x 13 baking dish.