Cheesy Quinoa for Kids

This Cheesy Quinoa contains a whole head of cauliflower blended into the sauce; perfect for getting our kids to eat more vegetables. 

Cheesy Quinoa Ingredients (With Alternative Suggestions)

• Quinoa: In this recipe, white quinoa is used. It has the most delicate flavour and cooks up fluffier than other varieties of quinoa. You could replace with tri-colour quinoa if you prefer.
• Butter, Flour, Milk: Used to make the bechamel sauce. The flour is used to thicken the sauce but if you want the dish to be gluten-free you could skip it (as the cauliflower adds thickness).
• Cheese: The cheese you use can make a big difference to the overall flavour of this dish. I recommend using a strong tasting mature cheddar. This provides the most flavour and you can, therefore, use less of it in the sauce. However, any good melting cheese will work (e.g Colby, Tasty, Montery Jack). You can also mix with freshly grated Parmesan if more flavour is needed
• Dijon Mustard: Used for flavour, can be skipped. 
• Cauliflower Puree: Adding cauliflower puree is great for kids who like the flavour of vegetables but struggle with texture. Although visually it goes undetected the flavour of cauliflower is quite prominent. If you have a fussy eater you may wish to start with 1/4 head of cauliflower and slowly add more as your child’s’ taste buds adapt. Alternatively, you can blend only half the cauliflower into the sauce and add the remaining pieces of cauliflower to add texture to the dish. Another great alternative would be to replace the cauliflower puree with butternut squash puree (like in this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese)
• Peas: Just throwing in a visible vegetable, they can be left out replaced with a different veggie. 

Making the Cheese Sauce

• ROUX: When making the roux, (mixing the flour with the butter), stir it for 2 minutes before you start adding the milk. This prevents your sauce from having a taste of raw flour. 
• CONTINUALLY STIR: Add the milk gradually. Continuous stirring /whisking and adding the milk slowly is the secret to a good sauce.
• ADD CHEESE: Add the cheese and mustard and stir until melted into the sauce. 

Assembling the Cheesy Quinoa Bake

1. Stir the cauliflower puree into the cheese sauce
2. Add the quinoa and stir through
3. Add the peas and stir.
4. Add mixture to a baking dish and top with cheese.  

Storage and Reheating Instructions

• Refrigerating: Refrigerate leftovers, for up to 2 days, in an airtight container. To reheat leftovers you can use a microwave to warm, add a little more cheese on top and then place under the grill (broiler) until topping is bubbly. Alternatively, you can place in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F  until hot throughout. You may wish to add more cheese before reheating.
• Freezing: Freeze in a covered freezer and ovenproof dish (or dishes) for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as per the recipe.

You May Also Like

• Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Chicken Quinoa Bake
• Cauliflower Cheese Soup

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5 from 1 vote

Cheesy Quinoa

This Cheesy Quinoa contains a whole head of cauliflower blended into the sauce; perfect for getting our kids to eat more vegetables.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves:6

Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler

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Ingredients

Cauliflower Puree

• ▢ 1 Small Cauliflower (550g (1.2lb) once trimmed and chopped)

Quinoa

• ▢ 175g (1 cup) Quinoa

Cheese Sauce

• ▢ 28g (2 tbsp) Butter
• ▢ 9g (1 tbsp) Flour
• ▢ 250ml (1 cup) Milk
• ▢ 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• ▢ 115g (1 cup) Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese Grated

Assembly

• ▢ 135g (1 cup) Peas
• ▢ 50g (1/2 cup) Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese Grated

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200c/400f.

Cauliflower Puree

• Remove the base and outer leaves from the cauliflower and wash. Chop into small 1.5cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Don't worry about keeping florets intact
• In a large pot, bring 3/4 cup (180ml) of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower; bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and steam for 15-1 8 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to a food processor. Blend until smooth adding some of the cooking liquid if needed.

Quinoa

• Cook the quinoa as per pack instructions and set aside.

Cheese Sauce

• Melt butter in a saucepan and add the flour to form a roux, stir continuously for about 2 minutes.
• Add milk a little at a time, keep stirring/whisking continuously between each pour. Stir out any lumps before adding more milk. Continue adding the milk little by little until all the milk is incorporated and the sauce is thick and glossy.
• Take off the heat and stir in the mustard and the cheese.

Assembly

• Add the cauliflower puree to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Stir through the quinoa and peas until combined.
• Transfer to one large baking dish (or several small dishes) Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake in the oven, for approx. 20 mins, until the top is golden and bubbly.

Recipe Notes

CAULIFLOWER PUREE: More detailed cooking tips and process steps can be found on this cauliflower puree post.

Although visually it goes undetected the flavour of cauliflower is quite prominent. If you have a fussy eater you may wish to start with 1/4 head of cauliflower and slowly add more as your child’s’ taste buds adapt.

If you prefer more texture, you can blend only half the cauliflower into the sauce and add the remaining pieces of cauliflower to the dish. 

QUINOA:175g (1 cup) of uncooked quinoa is equivalent to 380g (2.5 cups) of cooked quinoa. You can use white quinoa or tri-colour quinoa. 

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:

• Refrigerating: Refrigerate leftovers, for up to 2 days. To reheat leftovers you can use a microwave to warm, add a little more cheese on top and then place under the grill (broiler) until topping is bubbly. Alternatively, you can place in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F  until hot throughout. You may wish to add more cheese before reheating.
• Freezing: Freeze in a covered freezer and ovenproof dish (or dishes) for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as per the recipe.

Nutritional information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. 

Nutrition Facts

Cheesy Quinoa

Amount Per Serving

Calories 325 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 9g45%

Cholesterol 43mg14%

Sodium 263mg11%

Potassium 588mg17%

Carbohydrates 30g10%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 632IU13%

Vitamin C 55mg67%

Calcium 286mg29%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course:Main Meal, Side Dish

Cuisine:Western

Keyword:Cheesy Quinoa, Quinoa for Kids

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*This recipe was first published in Nov 2015, it has been updated with new photos, process shots and with a new recipe. If you would like to be sent the original recipe then please e-mail me, leave a comment below or contact me via social media.