Cheesy Sausage, Broccoli, and Quinoa Casserole

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
4 (4-oz.) links sweet chicken Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups whole milk
2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
6 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Bring 2 1/2 cups water and quinoa to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, and sausage; cook 7 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Remove sausage mixture to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add flour, butter, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add milk and stock; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium; stir in broccoli, 2 teaspoons thyme, 3/8 teaspoon salt, 3/8 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in quinoa and sausage mixture.
5. Coat 2 (8-inch) square microwave-safe glass or ceramic baking dishes with cooking spray. Divide quinoa mixture between dishes. Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and panko in a bowl; add remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and cheddar. Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over casseroles. Bake at 400°F for 18 minutes or until browned, or follow freezing instructions.

Notes: I changed this recipe a bit, and the next time I make it I will make a few more changes. I had leftover quinoa that I used. I only had about 1 1/2 or 2 cups cooked, but it was plenty. 2 cups of dry quinoa would be way too much. I used Kielbasa instead of Italian sausage because it was on sale. However, if I used Italian sausage, I would choose a mild Italian instead of sweet. I steamed my broccoli before adding it to the casserole, because I was worried it would not cook well in the oven. I shredded the carrots and sauted them at the end of sauteing the onions. Lastly, I found that 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of chicken stock as at least twice as much as what was needed (probably because I reduced the quinoa). I had to thicken the sauce even further, so I would keep the proportions for the roux as is written, and just do half the liquid and see how that worked out. All those changes being made, it turned out for a nice dish. Basically a healthier version of rice and broccoli casserole.

Source: My Recipes