Creamy Cheesy Chicken & Garlic Quinoa Bake.

This recipe was perfect for dinner last night, as I was wanting something warm, comforting, and yummy. It's definitely not the quickest meal to make, but it is worth it and you'll have leftovers for lunch or the next night's dinner. I split the recipes into two different dishes, and dropped the extra one off to my friend, Jessica, this morning, who is at home with her one month old!

Creamy Cheesy Chicken & Garlic Quinoa Bake

Recipe and photo from Iowa Girl Eats.

Ingredients: 
3-3/4 cup chicken broth, divided
1-1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 chicken breasts, cut into hunks
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons gluten-free or all purpose flour (I used brown rice flour)
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded then chopped
3 green onions, chopped
6oz freshly shredded fontina cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Bring 2-3/4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan then add rinsed and drained quinoa. Place a lid on top, turn heat down to medium, and then simmer until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat then let sit for 10 minutes with the lid on then remove lid and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray then set aside.
3. Spray a large skillet over medium-high heat with extra virgin olive oil or nonstick spray then add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until golden brown – chicken does not need to be cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate then set aside.
4. Turn heat down to medium then melt butter in skillet and add garlic. Saute for 1 minute or until golden brown and fragrant. Sprinkle in flour then whisk to combine and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stream in remaining 1 cup chicken broth and milk a splash at a time, whisking to avoid lumps. Add Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper, and then turn heat up slightly to bring to a simmer. Turn heat back down to medium then simmer until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
5. Remove skillet from heat then add cooked quinoa, chicken, tomatoes, green onions, and half the cheese and then stir to combine – mixture might look soupy but it’s fine.
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish then sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Place on top of a baking sheet in case of bubble overs then bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.