This Tuscan Chicken Quinoa Bake is packed with Italian flavors, kid-friendly, and has a whopping 40g protein per serving!
Happy Monday, friends! B and I just got home from a weekend in Cleveland to visit my parents. I’m already missing them like crazy!
I am super pumped about today’s recipe. Last week I asked the FFF facebook page what kinds of Spring recipes they want to see. About 90% of the responses were easy weeknight meals (protein-packed if possible). You wish is my command, frands! You all know my love for quinoa bakes/casseroles is real (this one is my fav!).
This casserole is…
PACKED with protein (40g per serving!)
Savory
Italian-Inspired
Cheesey
Gluten-Free
Prepped in under 10 minutes!
It also features FFF partner, Imagine® Foods’, Creamy Tomato Soup. I bet that’s the last thing you would have guessed was in this sucker. Well- it adds AMAZING flavor and creaminess to the casserole. In case you are wondering, this product is: certified organic, GMO free, gluten-free, vegetarian, kosher, non-dairy, and vegan. <—- a mouthful, right?
ingredients for Tuscan Chicken Quinoa Bake
chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, diced into bite-sized pieces
red onion, diced
EVOO
minced garlic
quinoa, uncooked
Imagine Foods Creamy Tomato Soup
italian seasoning
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
tomatoes, sliced into rounds
basil leaves
Mozzarella balls
I used Imagine® Food Creamy Tomato Soup as the liquid portion to cook the quinoa. Did I mention you DON’T have to pre-cook the quinoa? You just throw it in the casserole dish and let the magic happen in the oven.
I did decide to brown the chicken a bit and cook down the onions before throwing everything in the casserole dish to bake fully. You most certainly do not need to do either, I just prefer more cooked onions and I love the texture that the chicken got after it was browned for a bit.
2 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, diced into bite-sized pieces
½ medium red onion, diced
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups Imagine Foods Creamy Tomato Soup
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
6 small/medium sized tomatoes, sliced into rounds
10 fresh basil leaves
½ cup Mozzarella balls
Instructions
First, preheat oven to 375ºF. Then, spray a casserole dish (I used 12 x 8 inch) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a large sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Then, add in minced onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until they become translucent. Next, add in diced chicken and brown for about a minute, stirring often.
Transfer mixture into casserole dish and add uncooked quinoa, Imagine Creamy Tomato soup, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
Bake uncovered at 375ºF for 25 minutes. Then, remove and add the sliced tomatoes and mozzarella balls to the top. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until you can see the quinoa is fully cooked.