Rainbow Quinoa Mac & Cheese
Who doesn't love a big portion of warm cheesy pasta noodles?!?! No one is the answer to that question! In my opinion when I think of comfort food, I think of mac & cheese.
I wanted to make a different version that I wouldn't mind feeding my son all the time. In this recipe I use rainbow quinoa to add color and depth to a traditional dish. Feel free to use any pasta you would like- whole wheat, gluten free, a different quinoa...they all would work just as great as with the rainbow quinoa. I also added corn and broccoli but any hearty veggie would be great. The most important part of course....the sauce!
First, rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water. To add extra flavor, I toast the quinoa in a large sauce pan with a little EVOO over medium heat, stirring frequently for a few minutes before adding the liquid. Bring it to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat to let simmer covered and cook the quinoa until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes or so. After the quinoa is cooked, I transfer it to a bowl to chill.
In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour until there are no clumps. Add the mustard (you can use mustard powder, however I think the dijon mustard adds a nice rich flavor) and continue to stir.
Next, temper in the egg. To do this, whisk the egg in a different bowl, add a tablespoon of the milk mixture to the egg while continuously stirring not to scramble the egg. Repeat that step one more time and then add the egg mixture into the large pot. Stir in 3/4 of the sharp cheddar cheese (for this recipe I used white cheddar) and parmesan cheese slowly while continuing to stir.
Once all the cheese is melted, add salt, pepper, frozen broccoli and frozen corn. Once all incorporated, add the cooked quinoa back to the pot and mix until every piece is CHEESY!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and spread evenly.
In a small sauté pan, melt butter and panko bread crumbs together. Top the mac & cheese with the bread crumb mixture and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until edges bubble.
This dish makes great leftovers, and freezes well. Let the mac & cheese cool over night in the fridge, cut individual portions, wrap in foil, label/date and freeze for a easy single potion of mac & cheese any day of the week for you and/or your kids!
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Rainbow Quinoa
4 cups water
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp AP Flour
1 tbsp dijon mustard or mustard powder
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
3 cups milk (I use whole)
1 bay leaf
1 large egg
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
EVOO
Salt and Pepper
1 cup frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen corn
Topping
3 tbsp butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Servings: 12 large portions
From my family to yours...We hope you enjoy this dish over conversation, laughs, firsts for your babies and creating memories around the kitchen table! Buon Appetito!
I wanted to make a different version that I wouldn't mind feeding my son all the time. In this recipe I use rainbow quinoa to add color and depth to a traditional dish. Feel free to use any pasta you would like- whole wheat, gluten free, a different quinoa...they all would work just as great as with the rainbow quinoa. I also added corn and broccoli but any hearty veggie would be great. The most important part of course....the sauce!
In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour until there are no clumps. Add the mustard (you can use mustard powder, however I think the dijon mustard adds a nice rich flavor) and continue to stir.
Add the milk, onions, bay leaf and paprika (optional) until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
Next, temper in the egg. To do this, whisk the egg in a different bowl, add a tablespoon of the milk mixture to the egg while continuously stirring not to scramble the egg. Repeat that step one more time and then add the egg mixture into the large pot. Stir in 3/4 of the sharp cheddar cheese (for this recipe I used white cheddar) and parmesan cheese slowly while continuing to stir.
Once all the cheese is melted, add salt, pepper, frozen broccoli and frozen corn. Once all incorporated, add the cooked quinoa back to the pot and mix until every piece is CHEESY!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and spread evenly.
In a small sauté pan, melt butter and panko bread crumbs together. Top the mac & cheese with the bread crumb mixture and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until edges bubble.
This dish makes great leftovers, and freezes well. Let the mac & cheese cool over night in the fridge, cut individual portions, wrap in foil, label/date and freeze for a easy single potion of mac & cheese any day of the week for you and/or your kids!
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Rainbow Quinoa
4 cups water
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp AP Flour
1 tbsp dijon mustard or mustard powder
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
3 cups milk (I use whole)
1 bay leaf
1 large egg
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
EVOO
Salt and Pepper
1 cup frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen corn
Topping
3 tbsp butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Servings: 12 large portions
From my family to yours...We hope you enjoy this dish over conversation, laughs, firsts for your babies and creating memories around the kitchen table! Buon Appetito!
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