Cooking with Quinoa

So I have started experimenting with different foods.  In part because I am striving to branch out and expand my food knowledge and partly because I am trying to serve healthier meals to the fam.  I have been wanting to try quinoa for a while now.  I thought this protein and fiber packed grain would be a great alternative to our usual carb-heavy side dishes.

The kids are a little hesitant when it comes to new foods so I thought I would try Quinoa "mac and cheese".

I got my inspiration from this recipe, found on pinterest.  I didn't add any of the vegetables (didn't wnat the kids to turn it away because of that).  Then I didn't have any eggs, so I made my cheese sauce with a roux. 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon EVOO (My skillet doesn't take a lot of oil, you may need more)
1.5 cups water
1 tsp Mrs. Dash
1.5 cups cheese (I had partial bags of sharp cheddar, mild cheddar and colby jack...)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1.5 cups milk
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Heat oil in your skillet and saute quinoa until golden brown.

Then stir in water and Mrs Dash, heat to boiling, cover and simmer about 25 minutes until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Once melted, stir in flour.  I only had wheat flour, but it worked!

SLOWLY stir in milk.  Stir constantly until thickened.

Now stir in 1 cup cheese until melted.

Fold in quinoa and pour into baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.

While it was baking I caught Lorelei's first taste of pears...she made less of a face for broccoli!

 And Amelia and Elliot had fun playing on Study Island...

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown

Enjoy!

The Verdict:
I thought it was pretty tasty!  The kids enjoyed it too!  Next time I will try with some garlic and other seasoning.  Maybe some pepper jack cheese.  I also love that this recipe is very easily made gluten-free using an egg-based sauce and skipping the bread crumbs.  I like to have good gluten-free recipes in my arsenal for company.

What's your favorite way to enjoy quinoa?