Quinoa Cabbage Roll Casserole

A spin on your traditional Cabbage Roll Casserole, this recipe substitutes rice for quinoa! I love quinoa and try to use it in everything!! This recipe also uses extra lean ground chicken which makes it lower in calories and fat than the traditional dish.

On medium heat, heat up a frying pan coated with extra virgin olive oil and cook half a cup of white onion and 3 minced garlic cloves until they brown. Add one cup of extra lean ground chicken to pan and cook until browned. Next, add half a cup of cooked quinoa, one and a half cups of canned diced tomatoes, a quarter cup of water and one teaspoon each of dried parsley and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. 

Slice up one quarter of a large cabbage and set aside. 

To a separate sauce pan, add one and a half cups of diced tomatoes, one garlic clove, half a cup of chicken broth, one teaspoon of parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and set aside.

In a deep dish, layer half of your cabbage at the base, then on top, layer half of the meat sauce. Repeat one layer of cabbage and one layer of meat sauce. Top off with tomato sauce. 

Cook at 350° F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with half a cup of light mozzarella cheese. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. If you want the cabbage to be softer, then cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Quinoa Cabbage Roll Casserole

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup White onion, chopped

4 Garlic cloves, minced

1 cup Extra lean ground chicken

1/2 cup Cooked quinoa

3 cups Canned diced tomatoes

1/4 cup Water

2 tsp Dried parsley

1 tsp Dried basil

1/2 cup Chicken broth

1/4 Large cabbage, thinly shredded

1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Light mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Heat up a frying pan on medium heat, drizzle with olive oil and cook onions and 3 garlic cloves until they brown. 
3. Add ground chicken to pan. Cook until browned. 
4. Add quinoa, 1 1/2 cups of canned diced tomatoes, water and add 1 tsp each of parsley and basil to pan. Add salt and to taste. Bring to a boil and let simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. 
5. To a separate sauce pan, add 1 1/2 of diced tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, chicken broth, 1 tsp of parley, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and set aside.
6. Using a deep dish, layer half of your cabbage at the base, then on top, layer half of the meat sauce. Repeat one layer of cabbage and one layer of meat sauce. 
7. Coat casserole with tomato sauce. 
8. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve. 

Makes 4 servings. Each serving is approximately 220 calories.