A simple and flavorful meal isn't too far away. Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Chicken is a healthier meal option and one that feels like a 5-star restaurant just opened in your kitchen. Top it off with the Parmesan cheese sauce and you have a meal everyone can enjoy!
Okay so I'm always thinking up new food ideas and being inspired by something I've seen, hear of, or tried. Several months back, I went to Denny's and ordered a wild rice and chicken skillet and thought it tasted okay, but that I could do a little better.
I began brainstorming and thinking about what I already had in the house and how I could extract the most flavor and the best textures from the dish.
I didn't have wild rice on hand, but I did have a big bag of tri-color quinoa! It's healthy and easy to make, so I figured why not. And, from that- this dish was created. It's such a simple and easy recipe to make, but it feels like something of restaurant quality.
🥘 Ingredients
- Quinoa (tricolor or regular is fine)
- Chicken broth or water (I recommend the chicken broth- adds more flavor!)
- Bacon
- Brussel Sprouts
- Onion
- Garlic Cloves, whole
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
For the Cheese Sauce you will need:
- Butter
- Flour
- Salt and Pepper
- Milk
- Parmesan Cheese (or a blend of Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago)
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium sized pot
- Baking sheet
- Measuring spoons
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make cheesy chicken with quinoa and roasted brussel sprouts with these simple step-by-step instructions:
In a skillet on the stove, partially cook your bacon until it's beginning to crisp around the edges but is still flimsy. Let cool and then chop into bits.
Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and then, using the same pan, cook the chicken breast on both sides for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and grease a baking sheet.
Wash your brussel sprouts and cut into quarters. Place in a large bowl.
Chop the onion and add it to the bowl of brussel sprouts. Add in the bacon bits and whole (peeled) garlic cloves.
Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss together and lay on baking sheet with chicken breasts or lay multiple breasts on their own tray.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until veggies are roasted and chicken is cooked through to 160 degrees F.
Quinoa
- In a bowl, rinse your quinoa under cool water until it runs clear. This should take about 30 seconds and it helps to keep the grains from tasting bitter.
- In a pot on the stove bring the broth or water and quinoa to a boil. Put the lid on and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork.
Cheese sauce
- In a small pot on the stove, melt your butter over medium heat.
- Add in the salt, pepper, and flour. Whisk to combine and let cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Slowly add in the milk and whisk to combine.
- Add in the cheese and stir until the cheese has melted thoroughly.
Assembly
- After the vegetables and chicken have cooked, remove the chicken and slice it into thin coins.
- Toss the quinoa and roasted brussel sprouts mixture together in a bowl or large pot.
- Lay the quinoa on a plate and top with some sliced chicken breast pieces.
- Pour some cheese sauce over the top of the chicken, and enjoy!
🍴 Recipe Tips
Cook your quinoa while the vegetables and chicken are in the oven so that everything can be done around the same time. While you're waiting for the quinoa to absorb the water, make the cheese sauce and let it rest on low heat after it's thickened so that it can easily be spread over the top of your plates.
It's okay to allow the chicken and vegetables to cook longer if needed. You want the vegetables to be cooked through and showing a golden brown color. You should also make sure that the chicken fully reaches 160 degrees F before removing from the oven so that it's safe to eat.
Assemble the quinoa and brussel sprout mixture before slicing the chicken so that the chicken has a moment to rest. This will help to keep it nice and juicy and from drying out once sliced.
💭 FAQs
Absolutely! I usually feed my family of 4 one large chicken breast during meals because we make up for that protein elsewhere (plus, I'm not a huge meat eater and it helps to stretch the budget!)
You could use it if you'd like. I personally prefer the saltier aspect of the Parmesan cheese sauce and how it offsets the rest of the dish. With added salt and pepper a bechamel sauce would still taste good here.
Oh my gosh Yes! If you're a mushroom eater, after you've finished cooking the bacon, add sliced mushrooms (and the onions) to the skillet and cook until caramelized (about 5-10 minutes) then add them to the baking sheet with everything else before putting it in the oven. You'll love how satisfying the results are!
Check out these other tasty dinner recipes!
- Dorito Taco Salad
- Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Easy Baked Spaghetti
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken
- No Rise Pizza Dough
- Pan Fried Tilapia and Green Beans
- Tater Tot Casserole
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Chicken with Quinoa and Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Equipment
- Medium-sized pot
Ingredients
Chicken and Quinoa
- 1 cup tri-color quinoa ($1.31)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or water ($0.50)
- 3 strips bacon ($1.08)
- 1 lb brussel sprouts ($2.98)
- 2 small onions, diced (about 1 cup) ($0.70)
- 5-6 whole garlic cloves ($0.30)
- 1-2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts ($3.98)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil ($0.52)
- ½ teaspoon salt ($0.05)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ($0.02)
Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter ($0.16)
- 2 tablespoon flour ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon salt ($0.05)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper ($0.01)
- 1 cup milk ($0.19)
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese (or blend of Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago) ($1.99)
Instructions
- In a skillet on the stove, partially cook your bacon until it's beginning to crisp around the edges but is still flimsy. Let cool and then chop into bits. (about 5 minutes)
- Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and then, using the same pan, cook the chicken breast on both sides for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and grease a baking sheet.
- Wash your brussel sprouts and cut into quarters. Place in a large bowl.
- Chop the onion and add it to the bowl of brussel sprouts. Add in the bacon bits and whole (peeled) garlic cloves.
- Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss together and lay on baking sheet with chicken breasts or lay multiple breasts on their own tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until veggies are roasted and chicken is cooked through to 160 degrees F.
Quinoa
- In a bowl, rinse your quinoa under cool water until it runs clear. This should take about 30 seconds and it helps to keep the grains from tasting bitter.
- In a pot on the stove bring the broth or water and quinoa to a boil. Put the lid on and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork.
Cheese sauce
- In a small pot on the stove, melt your butter over medium heat.
- Add in the salt, pepper, and flour. Whisk to combine and let cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Slowly add in the milk and whisk to combine.
- Add in the cheese and stir until the cheese has melted thoroughly.
Assembly
- After the vegetables and chicken have cooked, remove the chicken and slice it into thin coins.
- Toss the quinoa and roasted brussel sprouts mixture together in a bowl or large pot.
- Lay the quinoa on a plate and top with some sliced chicken breast pieces.
- Pour some cheese sauce over the top of the chicken, and enjoy!
Leave a Reply