Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice
Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice has flavors so many people love in a casserole, but with fewer carbs! And we used rotisserie chicken, frozen cauliflower rice, and frozen broccoli so this is a dinner that’s extra easy to make.
Pin Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice to try it later!
I’m going to be a fan of any recipe that has chicken, broccoli, and curry sauce, and this Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice is a recipe I make regularly. But recently when I was grabbing the recipe from the website I decided that this favorite casserole of mine absolutely had to have new photos! And I hope the new-and-improved pictures will entice you to try it.
The recipe was adapted a few years ago from a version with quinoa, and when we tested it then I made it a couple of times with my great cooking assistant (and niece) Kara, and we improved it a little every time! We loved the ease of using rotisserie chicken, frozen cauliflower rice, and frozen broccoli to make a tasty casserole, and when I improved the photos I even used a bit more broccoli. And even though I rarely use frozen broccoli, I thought it was great in this recipe!
Of course, don’t you think just about everything tastes good with a creamy curry sauce, and this recipe also has a generous amount of cheese. I hope you’ll enjoy trying the recipe if you’re also a fan of this flavor combination.
What ingredients do you need:
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- diced, cooked chicken
- frozen broccoli pieces
- frozen cauliflower rice
- onion, chopped
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh ground pepper
- sour cream
- mayo
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- Dijon Mustard (affiliate link)
- Curry Powder (affiliate link)
- Hot Curry Powder (affiliate link)
- coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.
- grated Mozzarella cheese
How Much Frozen Broccoli and Cauliflower Rice do you need for this Recipe?
I bought big bags of frozen cauliflower rice and broccoli and measured out the amount I wanted. When I updated the photos I increased the amount of broccoli to 4 cups, and used 2 cups frozen cauliflower rice, but the amounts of broccoli and cauliflower rice don’t have to be exact.
Can you freeze the Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole?
This casserole will keep in the fridge for at least a week and is perfect to reheat for a quick dinner later. It freezes fairly well, although since the broccoli and cauliflower rice have been previously frozen, the thawed casserole may be slightly softer than you would prefer.
What if you don’t have Hot Curry Powder?
I used a blend of regular and hot curry powder to make this, but if you don’t have hot curry powder just use the combined amount of whatever curry powder you have.
How low in carbs is the Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole?
When you divide this into 8 servings like I did, this recipe has only about 6.8 net carbs per serving.
Want more casseroles to make with cauliflower rice?
You can check out 20 Cauliflower Rice Casserole Recipes to find more casseroles like this one!
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Thaw frozen broccoli overnight in the fridge if possible.
- Preheat oven to 375f/190C. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Cut up chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Measure out the cauliflower rice and broccoli and let it be thawing on the counter. Then cut broccoli into pieces if needed.
- Heat olive oil in frying pan and cook the chopped onion over medium-high heat.
- Add cut-up chicken and broccoli and cook about 3 minutes. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
- Then add cauliflower rice and combine with chicken and broccoli, cooking a minute or two more. Turn off heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Whisk together sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, curry powder, and hot curry powder (if using).
- Gently mix sauce into the chicken-broccoli mixture in the frying pan.
- Put the mixture into casserole dish and top with the shredded Mozzarella.
- Bake about 25-30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and top is starting to brown.
Weekend Food Prep:
This casserole recipe with chicken, broccoli, and cauliflower rice has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
I love Chicken with Curry Flavors:
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole (without cauliflower rice)
- Cheesy Curry Chicken Casserole
- Chicken and Asparagus Bake with Creamy Curry Sauce
- Curried Chicken Salad
Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice
I love the updated version of this Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice, and when I took new photos I used more broccoli to make a casserole with 8 servings!
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced, cooked chicken (see notes)
- 4 cups frozen broccoli pieces, partly thawed
- 2 cups frozen cauliflower rice, partly thawed
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 T olive oil
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (or more if you really like lemon)
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 T curry powder
- 2 tsp. hot curry powder (see notes)
- 1/3 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Thaw broccoli in the fridge overnight if possible. Preheat oven to 375f/190C. Spray an 11.5 X 8 casserole dish (or similar size) with non-stick spray.
- Cut up enough chicken to make 3 cups of diced, cooked chicken.
- Measure out the cauliflower rice and broccoli and let it be thawing on the counter. (When it's thawed, cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces if needed.)
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the chopped onion about 2 minutes over medium-high heat, or just until it barely starts to brown.
- Add the diced chicken and broccoli and cook about 3 minutes, stirring a few times. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste.
- Then add the cauliflower rice and combine with the chicken and broccoli. Turn off heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Whisk together the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, curry powder, and hot curry powder (if using).
- Gently mix the sauce into the chicken-broccoli mixture in the frying pan.
- Put the mixture into the casserole dish and top with the grated Mozzarella.
- Bake about 25-30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and top is starting to brown.
Notes
I used cut up rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but if you want to cook your own chicken you need about 3 medium or 2 large chicken breasts, barely simmered in water or broth for about 15 minutes. Let chicken cool and then dice for the recipe.
If you don't have hot curry powder, just use 5 tsp. of whatever curry powder you have.
This updated recipe was adapted from this casserole in the archives that used quinoa with chicken, broccoli, and curry sauce.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 452Total Fat 37gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 96mgSodium 467mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 4.2gSugar 3.9gProtein 21g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice would be great for low-carb diet plans, including Keto. This could work for the original South Beach Diet, although for South Beach dieters it would be recommended to use light sour cream, light mayo, and reduced fat cheese.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more casseroles like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for This Recipe:
A version of this casserole using quinoa was first posted in 2011. The recipe was updated to a version with cauliflower rice in 2020 and last updated with more information and greatly improved photos in 2024.
102 Comments on “Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice”
This is the best recipe!!! ย I use 2 c fat free Greek yogurt and 1 cup of Dukes Mayo. 2 bags of riced cauliflower, 1 lg head of Broccoli (chopped and Precooked) and 4 chicken breasts chopped. Doubled the hot curry and mustard and added some cayenne and garlic salt. EVERYONE loves it!!!
So glad you are enjoying it!
Hello, would this be a disaster if I uses fresh broccoli ย and cauliflower rice instead of frozen?
Not at all. My only caution is that of course you’d have to pre-cook the fresh broccoli and fresh-chopped cauliflower rice longer in the pan before you assemble the casserole. It will cook more in the oven but it needs to be partly pre-cooked. Hope you enjoy!
Perhaps you didn’t scroll down to where the actual recipe is? There is a small thumbnail photo on the right with a green button under it that says PRINT.
Do you think that instead of sour cream and mayo I could substitute whole milk greek yogurt? When I make a sauce for salmon that calls for sour cream I use the whole milk greek yogurt instead. Whole milk because when it cooks it won’t separate… Thoughts?
Comments before this one were for the original version of the recipe made with quinoa.
Just made this tonight…loved it! Only thing I added was some onion. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for an early dinner on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Will be making it again. Thanks!
So glad you liked it; one of my personal favorites!
I made this casserole last night to have for the week and it is so delicious!! I wasn't sure how the cheesiness of the casserole would go with the curry sauce but it really works. Thank you for this recipe!
Golden Girl, hope you enjoy. I have seen a few options for homemade cream of soup replacements, but most of them have flour and other ingredients I don't especially want.
This looks delicious.. I will be making this for dinner tonight. Can't wait to see how it turns out as we are curry lovers but I'm not a fan of Dijon mustard so we will see!! ๐ on a side note-for the commenters who dislike using canned mushroom soup in their recipes.. you can make your own substitute, I use one from "meal planning with connie" blog.. they are quick and easy and soo much healthier than the canned stuff. Try it out sometime!! ๐
So glad you enjoyed it! I am imagining how pretty it would be with the red quinoa.
We really liked this casserole. I used red quinoa, a bit more low-fat sour cream, a bit of cheese under the sauce, and 1/3 cup on top. I did poke holes–but, the sauce didn't seep into the whole casserole–but, we liked it this way– The quiona stayed firm and didn't need to be drowning in sauce– Overall, we enjoyed and I would make it again–My hubby loves curry–I used about 1 1/2 tsp of curry. Thanks for your blog–love to try different things–and this does it for me!!
Tanny, thanks for that nice feedback. So glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Thank you for this recipe! I've made a bunch of recipes from your Site and they never disappoint! This one was especially good and I loved the flavour combination!
I haven't tried freezing it; would love to hear how it turns out. I'm guessing the texture will change a little but it will probably still be okay.
Any idea if you can freeze this? I'm going to try making it this week and thought I'd go ahead and make a double (one to freeze), but I'm not sure how it'd be. Thoughts? Excited to try it!
GG, your version sounds great!
What a great adaptation to the 365 version. I reduced the broccoli, added a zucchini, along with lightly sauteed red pepper & mushrooms. I also avoid egg and soy so I substituted Veganaise for the mayo. I will be looking forward to lunch this week! I really love the cream sauce. I am thinking that there may be a goat cheese version in my future. Thanks for posting!
Thanks, and so glad you enjoyed this!
I made this for a friend who just had a baby. I replaced the sour cream for greek yogurt because I don't usually buy sour cream but kept everything else the same. Came out great and she loved it so much she is making it as I type. My husband is now jealous that I haven't yet made it for us! Love your blog- keep up the great work!
JillEE, I love hearing that!
Thanks for the great recipe. Even my 1 year old loved it (broccoli and all!).
I made this for my family using veganase (my daughter is allergic to eggs ) instead of mayo and it was great! Wondering if it could be freezes? I want to add it to my casserole swap but it has to be freezable?
I honestly don't know how well it would freeze; I've never frozen it. I am skeptical though; seems like the broccoli would be fairly soft after being frozen.
I made this for my meals this week and it is soooo delicious! I use the red quinoa instead of white. I think the red has a little more flavor and no rinsing but white is good too.
Glad you enjoyed it. I bet it is pretty with the red quinoa!
Jess, so glad you liked it! (And yes, for quinoa that needs it, rinsing is essential.)
We just made this tonight and the adults loved it. My little ones are picky and I'd say they were neutral to it, which is actually quite good. I made the full fat version by default because that is what we happened to have in the house, and I would go with the lower fat next time if I can plan it that way. I also may try the coconut milk version.
I'm starting to like quinoa after a bad first experience cooking it. I think the issue was rinsing because I couldn't figure out how the quinoa that other people made was so yummy and the batch I made was just nasty. It must have been a brand that needed rinsing. I'm happy to have another recipe to keep on hand for leftovers- especially this one since we often have just a touch of chicken left after roasting one and one meal. It will be nice to get a 3rd nourishing meal out of one bird and I can plan on making a double batch of quinoa when I'm roasting (or crockpotting) the chicken.
JessG in MA
Laurie, glad you liked it and thanks for letting us know that it worked that way.
This recipe is delicious! We're on phase one of SB, so I just left out the quinoa and did the recipe on the stovetop: big hit! (although we love quinoa, so I'll be trying the whole recipe when we're on phase two!)
I really like the sound of this with coconut milk, and how fun hearing from someone in South Korea. So glad you enjoyed it.
Oh my! I love this recipe. I didn't have sour cream so I used coconut milk and added lots more of the curry powder, just because I love it! And it turned out wonderful! You're a great inspiration, Kalyn!
One of the versions I tried but didn't like used all Greek yogurt, and I agree that this needs the creaminess of the sour cream.
I tried this recipe and did substitute Greek yogurt for all the sour cream. For me, it's a necessity. I'm lactose intolerant and can stomach the yogurt, but not the sour cream.
I have to say that the sauce was extremely tart. The sauce sat on top of the broccoli and never made its way down through the casserole. I added 2 teaspoons of curry powder and thought it actually could have used a full tablespoon. The flavor was interesting, but I'm not sure I'm sold on it. My advice would be to stick with the sour cream. Otherwise an excellent recipe.
Rachel, thanks for that nice feedback. I do think couscous would be a great substitute for the quinoa here.
Hi Kalyn,
You have been inspiring me for years, and your meals have fed my family countless of times. Thank you!
For this recipe, do you think couscous would work as a substitution for quinoa? I do not live in the U.S. and I'm not sure how or where I'd get quinoa just yet (although I haven't given up trying). Thank you!
Laura, that sounds like a great variation! Thanks for sharing.
Kalyn, Apparently this is going to be one of my Go-To Recipies, this time I changed it up, still using Chicken and Quinoa, but instead of broccoli I sautรฉed zucchini and mushrooms, and for the sauce used Pesto for the dijon and curry, it smells great and I can't wait to have it tomorrow night for dinner.
I just found this recipe. I was excited in trying it. I have always enjoyed any recipe of yours. Keep up the great work.
Lynn, thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed it.
Wow, I just made this and it was really tasty. I didn't know at first how parmesan as a topping would play with curry sauce, but it was really delicious. I can't get my hands on low fat sour cream here so I had to replace it with low fat plain yogurt.
Thanks for my dinners for the next few days =)
Julie, so glad you liked it!
Thanks for this tasty and easy recipe! I doubled the ingredients and put the casserole in a 13×9 glass dish so we could have leftovers a second night — even better than the first time!
Basil I know just what you mean about quinoa. I was slow to warm up to it myself, but now I like it a lot. Glad this made a believer of you!
Fabulous! Thanks so much for using quinoa- I have always been scared of it, but this dish turned me into a quinoa lover… I used tofu instead of sour cream, and vegetarian chicken, and the whole works was gone in no time at all.
Glad to hear you liked it!
I made this recipe without the curry and it was a family favorite! Keep the recipes coming I love your site.
Anonymous, so glad that variation worked for you!
I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream and extra firm tofu instead of chicken and it was FANtastic! Thanks for the idea ๐
Michael, hope you like it!
Great idea for using quinoa. I must try it!
Pam, that's great! So happy to hear it.
I made this recipe this week and my whole family loved it! I have never made a curry recipe that my family liked before so this one is a keeper! Thanks Kalyn!
Laura, glad you liked it. You could add a tiny bit more sauce (I was afraid it would get too mushy.) Double curry sounds good to me.
Kalyn,
This was delicious. Though I found the sauce didn't get to my quinoa. next time I might mix it then top with cheese.. Oh, I also doubled the curry, because my husband and I love it.. I will use this again and again.. ๐ thanks so much.
Lynne, that's great. Glad it was a hit.
Hi Joe,
Glad you liked it, and I'm looking forward to seeing what creative variations you come up with!
Made this tonight…and it was a hit! My boyfriend suggested we bring it to a potluck this weekend. ๐
Thanks again, Kalyn!
Hi Kalyn!
Made this for dinner tonight – excellent! Did make a few changes – added a bit more chicken, cooked the quinoa in broth and sprinkled a bit of salt and fresh ground black pepper while layering. Also used Asiago instead.
This will be fun to play around with – perhaps a Mexican variation with beans, lime juice, ancho chile powder, cumin and a bit of coriander? Great dish!
Thanks Jessica, as I said, I loved it!
I can't wait to try this, I'm always looking for new ways to use quinoa and this sounds delish!
Nicole, thanks. I was intrigued when I found it in the cookbook and really enjoyed it.
Treetopstudio, fun hearing about your changes. Thanks for sharing about how it worked in a dairy-free version.
I made this tonight, and it was tasty for something so easy. I wanted a dairy-free meal, so in place of the mayo and sour cream, I used a can of coconut milk and left the cheese off the top. It worked great! Without the cheese on top, it needed some extra flavor in the sauce, so I upped the mustard to 1 tablespoon. I wanted to add more curry powder, but I ran out. ๐ I put some fresh coarsely ground black pepper on top to make it look more appealing. Also, since I cook quinoa in big batches in my rice cooker, I just used 2 cups of leftover quinoa that was lying around. I used frozen organic broccoli, and I didn't even need to thaw it. I definitely want to make this again. I love the concept. I look forward to experimenting with different seasonings and vegetables. Yum, yum. Thanks for the idea. (Oh, and I think it's a great meal to give gluten-free families who have just had a baby or are in crisis! It's easy, nutritious, and one-dish.)
Love this idea. Thanks for posting. I am always stumped as to what to make with quinoa. Never tried a curry!
Can't think of any reason why the red quinoa wouldn't taste okay, although I'm not sure how it will look with the brightly yellow sauce. Might be fine though, let us know if you try it.
Thanks Michael!
Lea Ann, I'm liking quinoa more the more I use it. I think this is a good recipe for people who haven't eaten it much.
I have some left over rice, a can of cream of chicken soup in the pantry and some brocccoli in the fridge and was thinking about making that old time casserole recipe. Love this much healthier version. I need to try Quinoa more often.
Hi Kalyn!
Exellent blog you have here! So full of quality recipes and I have to say that my mouth waters just by looking at the pictures! Never mind cooking them!
Although this chicken casserole looks really delicious and something I would definitely try! I love the slow cooking of casseroles.
Thank you for sharing it and I will definitely bookmark your site to revisit.
Take care
Michael
This looks so good…I'm definitely going to try it! would using red quinoa work as well? It's what I have in the pantry.
Martha, assuming you read my comment above about the fat free Greek Yogurt. I do think full-fat Greek yogurt would work better. If you try a different version I would love to hear how it works.
Debbie, I'm impressed. (I can barely plan one day ahead!)
I just added this to the menu for next month! Yes, I'm weird, I plan way ahead! I love quinoa and this looks so good!
This sounds delicious. I wonder if full fat Greek yogurt would work. I think I'll try half sour cream and half yogurt and see what happens. My family loves casseroles so this is right up our alley.
Georgia, one of the versions I tried but didn't like used fat-free Greek yogurt. It seemed like the yogurt just got hard and didn't "melt" down into the other ingredients the way the sour cream did.
This looks delicious, but I'm not much into the low fat sour cream. I wonder if Greek yogurt would work…does it separate when cooked?
Cooking Creation, thanks. Hope you enjoy it!
Tami, I'm also thinking of other places to use this sauce! (And going to check out your blog now for more quinoa ideas.)
This quinoa casserole looks like something my whole family would love. I especially appreciate your alternative to condensed soup because I hate to rely on it all the time. I will be tweaking many of my old casserole dishes using your sauce. Thanks!
Bookmarking this recipe. It's making my mouth water! Looks great!
Alanna, I guess we were writing comments at the same time! I agree completely, and nowadays I must prefer the "fresher" flavor of the made-from-scratch sauce.
Jackie, if he likes curry flavors I'm thinking you might slide this one past him!
Thanks Barbara. I also thought this was a very creative way to use quinoa.
Christine, my mom too! I liked this version of sauce so much better!
I've been eating a little quinoa lately and have found it very satisfying. This recipe looks like something my mom would have made but definitely with a can of cream of chicken soup! I really like your version and have saved it for future use. Thanks, as always, Kalyn for your inspiration!
That looks marvelous, Kalyn. I love quinoa but only have used it in salads. Wonderful flavors in this casserole!
I'm very intrigued–this sounds great! I'm always looking for new quinoa recipes, especially ones that my bf might enjoy since he's not fully-converted on quinoa yet. I will have to file this one away for the near future!
Joanne, my mom never heard of quinoa either!
Melissa, thanks! I love your ideas for adapting it to be dairy free as well as gluten free.
Dara, I did find myself thinking of other possible recipes where you could use quinoa when I was making this!
Lydia, I just got a big bag of quinoa from Costco and I'm going to try that rice cooker method next.
TW, great! Hope you enjoy it.
Lucky, lucky you to live near Penzeys. I've been to their stores in California and Chicago, but no Penzeys in Salt Lake. I also love The Spice House, which is owned by the sister of Bill Penzey.
Do try this, it's a good way to get introduced to quinoa.
Love the additional protein — and ESPECIALLY skipping the canned mushroom soup. It has its place but when we use it in everything, everything tastes the same!
Kalyn,let me take this opportunity to thank you for suggesting Penzey's spices. Luckily I have a store near me. I am enjoying all the spices I've purchased so far and already have my favorites. One of them is the curry you mentioned in this quinoa recipe. So thank you! rj
p.s.maybe now I can give quinoa a try~
Nancy, thanks so much, both for the sharing on Facebook and the kind words about the recipes!
VE, thanks. I'm always happy when I can find a recipe that uses leftover rotisserie chicken, because I can't seem to resist them at Costco. (And I use the bones and skin to make homemade chicken stock, double win!
Great job using the leftovers. With food prices rising the way they are, you can never make enough use of your leftovers. Quinoa sounds interesting, I've never tried it…
This sounds great! This will be on our menu as soon as the next leftover rotisserie chicken is in the fridge. Or maybe I'll just pull out some chicken tenders if I can't wait till next week. I'll be sharing this one on facebook. I've hooked many friends on South Beach by sharing your recipes. No need for feeling any dieting deprivation with your recipes!
Fantastic – I just made a quinoa recipe the other day, and was wondering what else I could make. I love the flavor and the texture. I think you've just given me my weekend dining recipe.
I've been using the rice cooker method to make batches of quinoa (from Gluten-Free Goddess). Then I have cooked quinoa on hand for salads and dishes like this yummy casserole. The cooked quinoa will keep in the refrigerator for a week.
This version of the classic casserole looks and sounds so appealing. Quinoa is one of our favorite grains to use and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it. You have opened up a whole new avenue of possibilities with this casserole.
Kalyn,
I love the idea of a quinoa casserole. Glad you posted the recipe. Being gluten-free, quinoa is one of my go-to grains. I've printed off your recipe and am going to tweak it a bit to be dairy free (might make a sauce out of chicken broth, some coconut milk and a few other goodies). I love the idea of "creamy curry sauce" so I'm going to stay with that direction. I just bought 5 different types of curry from Penzey's. I'm a curry lover and wanted to do a taste test on the differences. I love the smell of curry. Add in a little garam masala and I'm addicted. =)
Great recipe. I'm looking forward to giving this one a whirl. Thanks for making it gluten-free!
Melissa
This is definitely NOT my momma's casserole as she doesn't even know what quinoa is! It sounds delicious and I love that it's curry flavored!
Hi Heather, thanks for commenting! Quinoa is a seed and it has a natural coating called Saponin which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Some boxed quinoas are pre-rinsed, but if you buy it in bulk or in a bigger container it probably needs to be rinsed. (You will see a foaminess when you rinse it.) I'd say it definitely improves the taste if it's not the pre-rinsed type.
Kalyn– I've been a longtime reader but never commented. This looks good! Do you know why it's necessary to rinse the quinoa? I've always skipped this step, because on many recipe reviews I've read other cooks claim it's not necessary. I'm wondering if it improves the taste or texture, which might mean my young kids would be more likely to eat it. Just curious!
Thanks Nancy; I love this recipe.
Kalyn, your casserole sounds really yummy and so easy to make!