Cheesy Mushroom & Roasted Broccoli Quinoa

Mushroom lovers rejoice!!! This dish was so cheesy and mushroom-y and just full of all the yummy comforts you want this time of year - warm, hearty, flavorful and filling - a healthier twist on traditional comfort food. Gluten free, too! If you want to add some meat, a little crumbled chicken sausage or shredded rotisserie chicken would gel nicely.

It definitely made enough for two as a main meal. Four servings for a side dish.

Enjoy!!
16 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

2 Tablespoons Salted Butter

1 cup broccoli, chopped 

1 tsp olive oil
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup milk, plus more for thinning at the end
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Salt & Pepper

Turn oven to 400F




Chop broccoli and place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Roast on 400F for 12-15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
To cook quinoa, place 1 cup of dry quinoa and 2 cups water in a pot. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a spoon and set aside.
To make the ricotta cheese mixture, add ricotta, milk, parsley, nutmeg and Parmesan in a bowl and stir till combined. Set aside.


While the broccoli is roasting and quinoa is cooking, melt butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Once melted add the sliced mushrooms. DO NOT TOUCH them! Just let them sit in the sizzling butter for 6-8 minutes. They will get golden brown and taste amazing - but only if you just leave them alone!! They need to sit and caramelize in the butter.  Once they are sufficiently browned (and you are welcome for this life-changing culinary tip), give them a good stir and cook for another couple of minutes until they are to your liking. Turn the heat down to low and add the roasted broccoli. Add the cooked quinoa and give a good stir. Next add the ricotta and Parmesan and stir until the cheeses have melted and it is nice and gooey. If the mixture is too thick, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to get it your desired consistency (I used about three extra tablespoons to get it more risotto-esque). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately! Enjoy the scrumptious-ness!!