Caprese Chicken Quinoa Bake
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • ⅔ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 1½ cups pasta sauce (any variety - I use tomato basil)
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
  • crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Cook quinoa according to package directions using water or broth (Note: I used 1⅓ cups vegetable broth to yield approximately 2 cups cooked quinoa).
  3. Meanwhile, put chicken breasts in sauce pan and add water until just covered. Bring to a boil and then cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and place in a large bowl. Shred chicken using two forks.
  4. Add cooked quinoa, pasta sauce and ½ cup mozzarella cheese to bowl with chicken, and stir to combine. Mix in 1 tablespoon of fresh basil.
  5. Put half of the chicken quinoa mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ cup tomatoes, ¼ cup cheese, and 1 tablespoon basil. Then top with remaining chicken quinoa mixture, remaining cheese, tomatoes and basil.
  6. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with crushed red pepper, if desired.
Notes
This is a great make ahead dish! Just cover and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake. The recipe can also easily be doubled to fit a 13x9-inch pan.
Recipe by Alida's Kitchen at https://www.alidaskitchen.com/2014/05/21/caprese-chicken-quinoa-bake/