For Tuesday’s School of Christian Living class, I tried a couple new things. We had Italian Quinoa and Bean Casserole, Salad, Focaccia Rolls, and Triple Chocolate Brownies.
The casserole dish was based off a Mexican flavored dish that I’ve made before. It’s a simple dish, and I knew that the flavors could be adapted very easily, so I was excited to try out this Italian variation.
Italian Quinoa and Bean Casserole
Serves 18-20
Adapted from Stepfanie’s Quinoa-Black Bean Casserole
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 4 cups water
- 2 large (29oz) cans cannelini beans
- 1 bag frozen corn
- 2 large bunches swiss chard, chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic oil (or regular olive oil)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 5 eggs, beaten
- 2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes
Toast the quinoa in a saucepan for a few minutes. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil, simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. In a large pan, heat oil and add chopped swiss chard. Add the minced garlic and saute until chard is just beginning to wilt.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 large baking dishes and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, swiss chard, beans, corn, 1 cup cheese, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, eggs, and tomatoes; mix well. Divide mixture into prepared baking dishes and top with remaining cheese.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.
