Steve and I had a wonderful time at the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society‘s Big DOG (Dutch Oven Gathering) in Canton, Texas. We made new friends and enjoyed spending time with old friends, eating lots of delicious food all weekend long. One of my favorite dishes was prepared by our friend Karen – baked quinoa with cheese and spinach. The quinoa was the main star with help from the cheese sauce and spinach, and the crunchy topping was a perfect final touch. Karen kindly shared with me how she prepared it, so I was eager to try it out. Oh my it is wonderful!
This is a complete meal all by itself, thanks to the quinoa, a superfood that is packed with potassium, iron, vitamin B-6 and magnesium, and the spinach and the two-cheese sauce. It is a wonderful side dish for Rosemary Chicken and would be an excellent companion to pork.
I think it is one of my all time favorite recipes and definitely fits the category for adult comfort food. I hope you love it as much as I do!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 10 hungry friends | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 45 minutes |
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The tiny quinoa seeds are surrounded by a lovely cheese sauce made with cheddar and parmesan, then joined with fresh (or frozen) spinach that adds a beautiful green contrast through out the dish. Panko, chives, and parmesan top it off, giving it satisfying crunch and spark of flavor. I used two camp Dutch ovens, a 12-inch and a 10-inch to reduce the preparation time, but you can do it with just the 12-inch.
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- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons oil
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups chicken stock OR water
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped (dried or fresh)
- 1 pound fresh spinach Substitute with 2 packages of frozen chopped spinach that is thawed completely
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons chives, chopped (dried or fresh)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- Fire up a chimney of charcoal. Make a pile of hot coals to fit underneath a 12-inch camp Dutch oven. Place the oven over the coals, add oil and chopped onions, and sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add quinoa and stir constantly for a minute to lightly toast the seeds.
- Add chicken stock (or water) and bring to a simmer, removing some of the charcoal if needed. Cover with lid for 10 to 15 minutes and simmer until the liquid is absorbed by the quinoa. Add more stock or water if the liquid is gone and the seeds have not opened up. The quinoa is cooked when you can see a tiny white spiral around each seed. Remove from heat.
- Fold in spinach. The fresh spinach should start to shrink and soften as it mixes into the hot cooked quinoa. If you are using frozen spinach, place the thawed spinach in a strainer to let as much moister drip out, the fold it into the quinoa.
- While the quinoa is simmering, prepare the cheese sauce. Make a pile of hot charcoal to fit underneath a 10-inch camp Dutch oven. Place the oven over the charcoal and add butter. When it has melted, whisk in the flour, stirring constantly until a roux forms and there are no bumps of flour.
- Stir in the milk, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in grated cheese and whisk until the cheese has melted, about a minute. Remove from heat.
- Stir in grated parmesan and nutmeg.
- In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together until evenly distributed.
- Pour warm cheese sauce over the quinoa and spinach and fold it in until the sauce is evenly distributed throughout. Use the back of a large spoon or a spatula to smooth the top of the cheesy quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the crunchy topping across the top of the quinoa.
- Make a circle of 9 hot charcoals to fit underneath the 12-inch camp Dutch oven. Place the oven over the charcoal. Add 15 hot charcoal around the outside of the lid. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes so that cheese sauce is hot and bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
