Light Asparagus, Chicken Quinoa Bake is healthy and flavorful dinner made with leeks, bacon and sharp white cheddar cheese. This Chicken Asparagus Casserole is an easy recipe the whole family will love!
Chicken Asparagus Casserole
Light Asparagus, Chicken Quinoa Bake is filled with leeks, bacon, asparagus and extra sharp white cheddar for a flavor packed dinner that is so good, you won’t believe it is lightened up! In addition to all the flavorful components, it is packed with lean chicken and the protein packed super food, quinoa.
Quinoa Recipe with Chicken
Along with a homemade sauce, you get a hearty meal heavy on nutrients and light on fat. Much like my other quinoa recipes with chicken like Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bake and Pizza Stuffed Chicken Quinoa Bake, there are no cans of processed cream soups in this recipe!
This meal makes a great make-ahead dinner option. Mix it up, toss it in the refrigerator the night before and you can throw it in the oven when you get home from work the next day. You will have dinner on the table in less than an hour and more time to spend with your family after work!
Healthy Quinoa Bake
Whether you are bringing a meal to a friend or prepping dinner for your spouse when you have to work late, this dinner makes a complete healthy meal everyone will love.
Easy meal prep recipes are my favorite. I rarely have the energy to sit down and make a full meal with the hussle and bussle of two kids. If I can prep something the night before or in the afternoon while they are sleeping it makes all of our lives easier!
Creative Asparagus Recipes
Another reason I love this Chicken Asparagus Casserole so much, is that you can get creative and change up the recipe by swapping out a few ingredients.
Instead of asparagus, try out some broccoli or spinach and give goat cheese or Gruyere a try for a little variety in flavor. I promise you, that after you make this once, you will want to make it again and again!
Quinoa bakes are a healthy and delicious alternative to your Mom’s casseroles, but provide the same comforting meal. This Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bake and Pizza Stuffed Chicken Quinoa Bake are both great takes on this lightened up version of hotdish.
More Recipes using Chicken and Quinoa!
- Buffalo Chicken & Quinoa Veggie Bowls
- Asparagus & Feta Quinoa Salad
- Crock Pot Chicken, Quinoa & Roasted Garlic Soup
- Harvest Chicken Quinoa Salad
- One Pot Mexican Quinoa
- Chicken Cacciatore Quinoa Bake
Light Asparagus, Chicken Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 1 c. chicken broth
- 1/2 c. Masa corn flour substitute all-purpose flour
- 2 c. milk
- 1 Tbsp. Roasted Garlic Montreal Chicken seasoning
- 3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
- 1 lb. chicken breast cut in small strips
- 1/2 c. cooked bacon crumbled
- 1/2 c. leeks chopped
- 1 1/2 c. asparagus cut in 2" pieces
- 2/3 c. extra sharp white cheddar shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°.
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, whisk together the chicken broth and flour until smooth and cook for a minute. Add the milk and garlic seasoning and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until thickened.
- In a large bowl, fold together the sauce with the quinoa, chicken, bacon, leeks and asparagus and pour into a 10"x10" sprayed baking dish.
- Top with the shredded cheese and bake for 40-50 minutes covered until the quinoa is sprouted and the chicken is no longer pink. Serve immediately.
Shaundra says
This was an amazing dinner! My husband is a very picky eater, so I was nervous to try this. But there was hardly any left by the end of the evening! There were 3 of us eating, and everyone raved! I’m making it again this week…by request from my husband! 🙂 I’m also pleased to find so many other good recipes on this site. Keep up the good work!
Sarah Lagen says
I just made this and put it in the over! I think I added a little too much milk but it looks delicious and I can’t wait to bite in!!
Sarah Lagen says
I just made this and put it in the over! I think I added a little too much milk but it looks delicious and I can’t wait to bite in!!
Joani says
I made this casserole this evening and it was okay, but it didn’t look like the picture accompanying this recipe. For one thing, when the dish is covered, the cheese melts in the quinoa and it doesn’t look anywhere near as appetizing as it does here. I also didn’t like the texture for the same reasons given above, but I have to own up to having left 1/4 c. of the flour out because I was afraid it would taste bland. I also think I’d stir fry the chicken and veggies in a little olive oil. I think it would add to the taste, texture and be more pleasing to the eye.
Tanya says
I’ve already made this 4 times because it’s so good! I’ve substituted various veggies for the asparagus (broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage on the other 3 occasions) and I’ve substituted the bacon for Italian sausage and even a seasoned burger patty and they always came out great! It is so versatile I even added some pesto to the sauce and it turned out awesome as well. Picky toddlers also gobble it up =) I am SOO happy I found this recipe.
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
Thanks Tanya, I am so glad you have enjoyed it and been able to put your own spin on it as well!
Erin says
Would making a bit of a roux first fix the soupy problem? Instead of adding 1/2 cup of flour could it 1 T olive oil and 1T flour to make a thin sauce so that the quinoa still has some liquid to absorb without the cassarole drying out?
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
The chicken broth, milk and flour are essentially doing the same thing. It is important to allow that to thicken and you won’t have a soupy mixture. I believe that is the problem some people are running in to.
Amy says
Can the quinoa be cooked already – I have a bunch already cooked that I’d rather use that cook more…. Just curious.
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
Hi Amy, yes, you should be able to adapt the recipe to add cooked quinoa. First of all reduce the liquid (milk and chicken broth) from 3 cups to 1 1/2 cups. I would also cook the chicken before adding it to the casserole in this case as well as giving the leeks a quick saute. Fold everything, including the cooked quinoa and chicken together and bake until warmed through, 20-30 minutes.
I haven’t tried it this way before, but I would estimate that it should come out very similar. Be sure to stop back and let us know how it turns out!
Sherri says
Does the recipe really call for one half pound of chicken to make 5 servings? That doesn’t sound right.
Danielle Green says
It should be 1 pound chicken
Andrea says
I agree with the comments that this was soupy. I cooked for 50 minutes and even drained a lot of the liquid out of the baking dish and tried cooking it a little longer but still soupy. The flavors were good but I don’t think I’ll be making this again. Maybe something added to it that can absorb the liquid better than the quinoa would work…just not sure what that would be.
Vickie says
This was an interesting dish with quinoa…a little on the goopy side. After cooking for 40 minutes covered, the quinoa still had not sprouted, I uncovered and left it in the oven for another 10 minutes. Once I removed from the oven I let it set for another 10 minutes before serving. It seemed to be to get better as it cooled….I don’t think I would make this again…sorry 🙁 I guess I’m not used to serving quinoa like this.
Ellen says
I’ve made this before and it is DELICIOUS. Could I use almond milk instead of regular milk in the future?
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
I am so glad you liked the dish Ellen! I have never made it with almond milk, but I imagine it would work just fine. Keep in mind that almond milk has a stronger flavor than regular milk, so that will alter the flavor slightly. Be sure to let us know how it turns out if you do try it with almond milk!
Ellen says
I’ve made this before and it is DELICIOUS. Could I use almond milk instead of regular milk in the future?
Kristen Mullins says
This was awesome! I used whole wheat flour and since I didn’t have the seasoning I used one tsp of paprika and one tsp of minced garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper as you suggested. Next time I will add mushrooms. This is a winner!
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that the alternative seasonings worked out great!
camille says
I followed the directions and it came out all soupy, am i doing something wrong?
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
Hi Camille, sorry it didn’t turn out for you. Did the quinoa all come out done, meaning little sprouts came out of each grain? If not, this probably means it needs more cooking time and as the quinoa cooks, it will absorb some of the liquid.
Jamie says
I followed the directions as well and mine came out soupy too! It looked great going into the pan (sauce turned out fine, added all ingredients in mixing bowl, etc.). Then after 40 min in the oven SOUP! I tried uncovering the baking dish and baking it for a while longer, but that only marginally helped the situation.
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
The only reasons I can think of that it would be coming out soupy is that either cooked quinoa was added instead of uncooked or that the sauce wasn’t cooked long enough allowing it to thicken?
Heather says
I put this together Sunday night and cooked Monday night for dinner. It was delish! I did make a couple of changes. I cooked the chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil and then drained it on a paper towel prior to assembly. I didn’t have leeks so I used green onions. Also I used a tablespoon of regular Montreal chicken seasoning and a tablespoon of garlic powder. I did not have masa corn flour, but a google search suggested using cornmeal instead. I was scared, but it turned out great. I increased the chicken broth by 1/2 cup, somehow that made me feel better about the corn meal.
Thanks for the great recipe. This is definitely staying in our recipe rotation!
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
Hey Heather, I am so glad the recipe and your modifications worked out for you and that you enjoyed it!
Heather says
I put this together Sunday night and cooked Monday night for dinner. It was delish! I did make a couple of changes. I cooked the chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil and then drained it on a paper towel prior to assembly. I didn’t have leeks so I used green onions. Also I used a tablespoon of regular Montreal chicken seasoning and a tablespoon of garlic powder. I did not have masa corn flour, but a google search suggested using cornmeal instead. I was scared, but it turned out great. I increased the chicken broth by 1/2 cup, somehow that made me feel better about the corn meal.
Thanks for the great recipe. This is definitely staying in our recipe rotation!
Susan says
I don’t have Masa corn flour and none is sold where I live. Can I use regular flour? What would be a good more natural substitute for the Roasted Garlic Montreal Chicken seasoning? I hate buying seasonings that are usually loaded with sodium and preservatives. Rather use fresh or dried herbs/spices.
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
Hi Susan, all-purpose flour will work fine as a substitute for the Masa. As for the seasoning, I would use a couple teaspoons of diced fresh garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper and a teaspoon of paprika as a substitute for the Montreal seasoning.
Katie says
Could this be done in the crock pot?
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
I Katie, I haven’t tried this in my Crock Pot. I would think it would cook through fine, but my concern would be that the creamier base might burn/stick on the outsides. You would also want to add a bit more liquid for the longer cooking time in a Crock Pot. If you do try it, be sure and let us know your results!
Donna Pearson says
This is so delicious!! Am making again tonight. Was good the next day as well. Don’t skip any ingredients. Everything works together so well. The only thing I did differently was cook the chicken in a cast iron skillet with the leeks and asparagus….just to brown the chicken a little. I don’t like putting raw chicken in a cooked sauce and veggies. Turned out great!!!
Danielle | Krafted Koch says
I’m so glad you liked it Donna, thanks for sharing!
Ashley Haglin says
The LIGHT ASPARAGUS, CHICKEN & QUINOA BAKE was soo delicious! I love finding my dinner meals on Krafted Koch, and it’s even a plus when they are healthy! Thanks!!!
Ashley Haglin says
The LIGHT ASPARAGUS, CHICKEN & QUINOA BAKE was soo delicious! I love finding my dinner meals on Krafted Koch, and it’s even a plus when they are healthy! Thanks!!!