Chicken Alfredo and Quinoa Bake

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sunflower seed oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 cups quinoa
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
• 4 cups water
• 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 (5 ounce) cans chicken chunks, drained
• 2 cups Alfredo sauce
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• ¼ cup butter, cut into small pieces
• ¾ cup shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
• 1 ½ cups crushed pita chips
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Step 1

Gently heat some sunflower oil in a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the chopped onion and garlic, cooking and stirring until the onion softens a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and chicken bouillon, and keep stirring frequently until the quinoa gets a little toasted, which should take around 5 to 8 minutes.

Step 2

Pour in the water and bring everything to a boil. Once it’s boiling, cover the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme and parsley, then continue cooking until the water is mostly absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork.

Step 3

While the quinoa cooks, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the quinoa mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the cooked chicken on top, then spoon the Alfredo sauce and cream of chicken soup over the chicken. Dot the surface with little pieces of butter, and sprinkle half a cup of the Italian cheese blend over everything.

Step 4

Pop the dish into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After that, give it a good stir and press it down gently with the back of a spoon or spatula. Then sprinkle the pita chips over the top along with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake again until the cheese melts and everything is bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

Step 5

Let the casserole cool for about 5 minutes before serving, and finish it off with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top.