Mexican Chicken Quinoa

I love this recipe so much! Mexican is my favorite food. We eat Mexican more than any other type of food, so this has been on heavy rotation. This recipe is a great mix of flavors and it's healthy!  But what I like most about this recipe is that it makes a 9x13" pan and will last us 3-4 days!

This recipe and photo are from Well Plated. I changed the ingredients to make it spicier. I will note my changes below.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 1lb of chicken cut into bite size pieces
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp of chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 can of corn (and/or black beans)
• 1 cup of plain greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (could use mix of mozz and cheddar, Mexican, or some type of spicy pepper cheese)
• Fresh Cilantro (optional for serving)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13" pan and set aside.
2. Place 1 1/2 cups of water in pot with 1 cup of quinoa. Bring to a boil, once boiling lower heat to simmer and let simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and set aside.
3. In a large pan heat olive oil over medium high. Saute peppers and onions for about 5 minutes. Add chicken and seasonings. Cook through.
4. Add garlic and Rotel.
5. Remove from heat. Add corn, black beans, yogurt, quinoa and 1/2 of shredded cheese.
6. Stir until combined. Transfer to baking dish and cover with remaining cheese.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn heat to broil and broil until cheese is lightly browned. Keep a watchful eye, all ovens are different and this may take between 1-4 minutes.
8. Top with cilantro.

Enjoy!
 Notes: I use Rotel instead of roasted tomatoes. I sub a can of corn for black beans and sometimes use both. I usually use whatever cheese I have on hand, but spicy pepper cheese is really good!