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When I saw a recipe for chicken quinoa broccoli casserole on Pinch of Yum I knew that I had to make my own version of it in the slow cooker. I love how quinoa turns out in the crock pot and how it takes on the flavors of everything else. Plus I knew that the quinoa and the chicken would need about the same amount of cooking time…so it would be a perfect match in the slow cooker.
I also decided that if I was going to make up this recipe I would see if I could make it gluten free since I know many of you need to eat that way and quinoa is a healthy, gluten free superfood. Therefore I didn’t add any “cream of” soups in this recipe (but it’s not hard to make and doesn’t take much time…so don’t be scared).
Lately I’ve been loving the huge bags of broccoli florets at Costco. They are inexpensive and perfect for roasting and for dipping in ranch…and for this recipe. No washing or cutting necessary. Word. Also, the big bags of bacon crumbles. Seriously, those bags are dangerous and I pretty much have to hide that bag from my husband. But if you can keep it around long enough, the bacon comes in handy for topping salads and using in scrambled eggs and all sorts of other ways. (If you choose to cook your own bacon, look at this easy way that I do it).
For those of you still on the fence with quinoa, do you rinse before use? It tends to be quite bitter if you don’t rinse it…so remember to do that! Also, I love how quinoa is super easy on the digestive system, has lots of protein (complete), and you can easily sub it for rice and many other grains. I hope you enjoy this comforting, homemade casserole as much as I did!
Recipe for Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Quinoa Broccoli Casserole
Makes 4-6 servings
Ideal slow cooker size: 3 quart (if you use a 6 quart it will cook faster)
Cooking time: 2 1/2 hours on high or 4 hours on low
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but I prefer thighs)
2 Tbsp non-fat dried milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried onion
1 cup rinsed quinoa
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup crumbled bacon + more for serving
1/2 lb broccoli florets
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp flour (if you need the recipe to be gluten free, use a gluten free flour)
1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or another cheese of your choice)
1. In a plastic zipper bag combine the dried milk, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, bouillon, pepper, basil, parsley and dried onion. Shake up to mix.
2. Cut each chicken thigh into 4 pieces. Put the chicken in the plastic bag and zip it. Shake until all pieces of chicken are coated with the mixture. Pour contents of bag into the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Add quinoa into the slow cooker. Pour water on top. Add in 1/4 cup of bacon.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours or on HIGH for about 2 1/2 hours or until quinoa is cooked and chicken is done. You will know the quinoa is done when it is soft and the germ of the kernel is visible as a little spiral.
5. Remove the lid from the slow cooker. In a little bowl, stir Greek yogurt and 1 Tbsp flour together (this will prevent curdling) and then add to the slow cooker. Stir until all combined.
6. In a glass bowl, combine broccoli and about 1/2 cup water. Stick the bowl in the microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Drain off all water and stir the broccoli into the slow cooker.
7. Top with grated cheese and extra bacon bits. Let the cheese get all melty and then serve.
P.S. Do you love quinoa? Check out these other crock pot quinoa recipes:
- Blueberry Coconut Blueberry Quinoa
- Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans
- Vegetarian Mexican Quinoa Bowl
- Turkey Quinoa Meatballs
Hi, I was wondering if this freezes well. I would like to double the recipe and freeze half of it for another night.
I have never tried but it seems like this would be a recipe that would work for freezing. Let me know how it goes!
This was wonderful! I used chicken broth instead of the water and bullion and it was fantastic. I also subbed arrowroot for the flour and cornstarch and it was so great! This recipe is such a keeper and so easy to adapt for what each person needs. Thank you for giving a great recipe for us to all try.
Jenessa! Glad you liked it 🙂
I don't use dried milk either. What about using milk for some or all of the water? Maybe some italian seasoning to kick up the flavor? Or another spice blend like that?
Would this be OK without the dried milk and corn starch? Has anyone tried? Those just aren't things I ever use or keep in the house. I may just give it a shot and see what happens.
Um, I don't know how it would turn out. Let me know!
I used arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch and left out the dried milk and it was fantastic!
I made this tonight and it was easy to make, convenient and the quinoa makes it pretty healthy. It's a little bland by itself, but the cheese and bacon topping helped a lot. Will definitely make again, but not too often.
Thank you for the oven baking bacon tip!! I made a big ziploc bag full.
I didn't see your star rating Karen. I'm curious… how many stars would you rate it?
I would give it 4 stars. Hmmm, with the blandness what could we do to remedy that? Of course bacon always helps!
True, more bacon always helps! However, I'm doing weight watchers and more bacon = more points, so I'd rather "flavor it up" with spices. Not sure what spices though.
That looks and sounds soooo good!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Pass that over here! My tummy is growling already!
This sounds absolutely lovely! I bet it warms you from the inside out!
I really love this recipe idea… however I really dislike greek yogurt and I always find I can still taste it even after it's been completely combined in the dish. Do you have any substitute suggestions? I do not have any gluten allergies so that's not any concern.
Also I keep hearing the suggestion to wash the quinoa. I recently started substituting quinoa in my recipes and haven't been washing it. I will definitely try it when I make this recipe myself!
What about sour cream? Does that bug you? You could always use 4 oz of cream cheese…yum!
So hungry after seeing this!! I love cooking with quinoa 🙂