This cheesy, protein-packed enchilada quinoa bake is filled with shredded chicken, black beans and veggies. The ultimate crowd-pleasing dinner recipe!
I love being in the kitchen all year round but there is something a little extra special about fall cooking. Let’s be real, as the temps continue to drop, sometimes there is nothing better than turning on the warm oven and cozying up in the kitchen.
Or maybe it just feels good to provide comfort and sustenance to friends and family during such a busy time of year when people need it most.
Whatever the reason, I find myself gravitating to the kitchen more and more this time of year in search of comfort food. Of course, just because it’s comfort food doesn’t mean it can’t be nutritious.
This Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake is protein-packed and filled with tender chicken, black beans, quinoa and loads of hearty veggies.
To take this Mexican inspired enchilada quinoa bake to the next level, I top the entire dish with Tillamook Farmstyle Cut Mexican 4 Shredded Cheese. Ideal for melting, Tillamook’s cheese is shredded into thick, generous shreds the farmstyle way. Check out this convenient Where to Buy Tool to find out where Tillamook is sold near you.
Do you love to entertain? This quinoa bake is perfect for game day, feeding the family before heading out on Halloween or for a casual, cozy night in with friends.
Want to get ahead? This Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake is great for freezing. In fact, I love making two at a time so I can stash one in the freezer to gift to a friend who might be in need of a warm meal out of the blue at a later time.
Last but not least, don’t forget to garnish! We love creamy cubes of avocado, minced red onion and cilantro but get creative and make it your own. Diced tomatoes, black olives or jalapeños would all be great toppers as well.
Your fork is waiting.
Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken such as rotisserie
- 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 4.5 ounces chopped green chiles drained
- 2 cups enchilada sauce store-bought or homemade
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups Tillamook Mexican 4 Blend Shredded Cheese
- cilantro, red onion, avocado optional garnishes
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and have a 9 x 13 baking dish ready to use.
- In a large bowl, mix together first 12 ingredients (cooked quinoa through pepper). Spread mixture into an even layer in baking dish then top with Tillamook Mexican 4 Blend Shredded Cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bake is starting to bubble around the edges, about 30 minutes.
- Garnish with optional garnishes before serving.
Nutrition Facts:
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Recipe by The Lemon Bowl // Photography by Alejandro Photography
Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with Tillamook. All thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Lemon Bowl possible.
Looking for more healthy and easy dinner recipes? Head over to my Pinterest Board for more crowd pleasing dinner ideas!
Dee
Wow the sodium in this dish is extremely high! I will definitely have to do some tweaking to it.
Liz DellaCroce
When you buy chicken, check out the sodium content. :) You’ll be surprised.
Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet
Absolutely LOVE that this is made with quinoa!
Liz DellaCroce
So glad!
Brandy O'Neill
This looks delicious and I love how it’s great to freeze!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
The flavors sound so good! And I LOVE the quinoa!
Liz DellaCroce
I hope you love it!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
Pack full of amazing flavors! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Liz DellaCroce
Let me know how it turns out!
Lindsay Cotter
Looks like a winning dinner! This is definitely one to add to the must-make list!
Liz DellaCroce
I hope you love it!!
Erin
I love the Mexican flavors! This is a dinner my family would absolutely love!
Liz DellaCroce
I hope you try it!