Quinoa Sausage Casserole - Pastel de Quinoa

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 09/9/19
Quinoa sausage casserole - pastel de quinoa
Marian Blazes
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
399 Calories
34g Fat
16g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 399
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 43%
Saturated Fat 13g 67%
Cholesterol 125mg 42%
Sodium 562mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Protein 12g
Calcium 200mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Quinoa is perfect for casseroles – it might be one of the unusual grain’s best uses. It has a great texture when baked, and it absorbs the flavor of whatever you add to it. This is a rich, comforting casserole, with spinach, pecans, dried cranberries, and chorizo sausage. This casserole can be prepared without the sausage for an excellent vegetarian main course. It would also make excellent stuffing for roast turkey.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian version)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 links of chorizo sausage, casings removed
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 6 cups spinach leaves
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Place quinoa in a saucepan with the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir cranberries into quinoa. Cover and set aside.

  2. Add olive oil to a heavy skillet and place over medium heat. Add sausages, crumbling them with a wooden spoon or spatula as they cook. Cook sausages until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside.

  3. Add garlic to the same skillet and cook briefly over medium heat, until fragrant. Add spinach and 3 tablespoons water and cook until spinach is wilted and water has evaporated. Remove spinach, drain thoroughly and roughly chop.

  4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix sausage and spinach into quinoa. Stir in cream cheese, eggs, cumin, pecans, and salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Brush bottom and sides of a casserole dish with melted butter. Spoon quinoa mixture lightly into the casserole (don't mash quinoa down into the dish), and drizzle with remaining melted butter.

  6. Bake casserole until heated through and browned on top, 25 to 30 minutes.

  7. Remove from oven and serve warm.