unhealthy quinoa mac and cheese

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 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
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 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

Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 55 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 25 mins


• 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.