UNHEALTHY QUINOA MAC AND CHEESE

Unhealthy Quinoa Mac and Cheese image

Take the health benefits of quinoa and override them with a ton of cheese. You won't regret it!

Provided by Dezzie

Categories Side Dish Grain Side Dish Recipes

Time 1h25m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

5 slices bread, crusts removed and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups skim milk
salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon butter
1 large tomato, cored and sliced

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Process cubed bread in a food processor to make bread crumbs. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a deep ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add quinoa, chicken stock, and water to the skillet. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes.
Heat 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour; cook and stir to form a paste, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in skim milk. Season with salt and ground black pepper; simmer on low until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, a little at a time, until combined. Stir cheese sauce into quinoa mixture in the skillet.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs; cook and stir until crumbs are toasted, about 2 minutes. Place tomato slices on top of quinoa; top with bread crumbs. Quinoa mixture will be soupy but will firm up during baking.
Bake in the oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 628.5 calories, Carbohydrate 58.4 g, Cholesterol 80.5 mg, Fat 31.7 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 27.3 g, SaturatedFat 16.5 g, Sodium 932.7 mg, Sugar 7 g