Quinoa Sweet Potato Bake Recipe - The next time that you're looking for a great way to create a nutritious meat-free meal for your family, give this easy quinoa bake a whirl!
This is one of our favorite recipes for picky eaters. Whether it's a weekday meal, or a side dish, the easiest way to sneak in a complete protein is to make a golden brown casserole.
Don't get us wrong, we love quinoa salads. If you like Mexican street corn you should check out this one. Pair it as a side dish with our minestrone soup for a delicious meatless meal.
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What You're Going to Need!
- Cheese - We chose to use a delicious fromage de affinois for ours, which is a ripened triple cream French cheese with herbs, but almost any kind of cheese will work well, (see "variations" below.)
- Rosemary - Our fresh rosemary is doing so well in our garden.
- Milk - We like to use whole milk, but really any kind will do, as long as it isn't sweetened.
- Chicken Bouillon - This is optional, but we like the savory boost that it provides.
- Sweet Potatoes - Peeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds.
- Tri Color Quinoa - The plant protein in this super food is the star of this dish. Prepare according to the instructions on the package.
- Yellow Onion - Peeled and small diced. The natural sweetness of caramelized onions really helps to accentuate the flavor profile of this bake.
- Eggs - These will form the binder for the custard and hold everything together.
- Garlic - Peeled and minced.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe
Easy Tri-Color Quinoa Roasted Sweet Potato Bake Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees℉
- Peel and slice the sweet potatoes to about ½ inch rounds. Chop the fresh rosemary.
- In a mixing bowl toss the sweet potato rounds with 1 tablespoon olive oil blend, half of the chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet pan with foil and lay the evenly coated sweet potato rounds flat on the pan, and place in the oven.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting, cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
- After 15 minutes in the oven turn the sweet potatoes over in order to roast both sides evenly. Return them to the oven and finish roasting. About another 15 minutes or until softened and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Dice the onion to medium dice, and peel and chop the fresh garlic.
- Heat a sauté pan on the stove with about a tbsp. of olive oil blend. Add the diced onion to the heated pan and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and continue to cook until they start to turn brown. Add the chopped garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl combine the eggs and milk using a wire whisk. Portion the cheese into small pieces and add it to the milk and egg mixture. Finally add the remaining chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper, stir to combine.
- Line a casserole pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with oil or spray pan release.
- Add the sautéed onions and garlic to the bowl containing the cooked quinoa. Then add the egg, milk, cheese mixture to the bowl containing the quinoa, onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine.
- Add about half of the quinoa mixture to the prepared casserole pan, then layer the sweet potato slices over the top of the mixture. Add the rest of the mixture and place in a 400℉ oven for 25 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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How to Make Baked Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes
- Combine the sweet potatoes, herbs, and a little salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour over a drizzle of olive oil and toss together.
2. Place the seasoned sweet potato rounds in a single, even layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven until brown and fully cooked. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Place a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once it is hot enough to make a piece of the onion sizzle, add the rest of the onion, only stirring just enough to prevent burning, while achieving a golden brown. (Adding a touch of sea salt will pull out the moisture from the onions a little, thus evening out the caramelization process.)
4. As the onions brown, reduce the heat a bit at a time in order for them to cook evenly without scorching. Add the minced garlic right at the end, cooking only briefly before removing the skillet from the heat.
5. Crack the eggs into a large bowl, cut the cheese into small chunks, and gather together the rosemary and milk.
6. Whip the eggs and milk together until homogeneous and stir in the cheese and herbs. (Don't forget to season to taste with a little salt and pepper!)
7. Here we see the separated main ingredients for the recipe ; The sweet potatoes on a sheet pan, the cheesy custard, and the cooked quinoa with caramelized onion and garlic.
8. Now we've added the custard to the quinoa and onions in the large bowl, while reserving the sweet potato chunks on the baking tray.
9. After lining a baking dish with a greased piece of parchment paper, we spoon in some of the custard mixture followed by the potato rounds and then finish spooning the remainder over to cover.
10. Pop the whole thing into the oven until set and golden brown. Happy eating!
Chef Tip
You can prep the individual components of this recipe in advance and throw the whole thing together the next day. Just follow the recipe right up to the point of the assembly and baking and toss everything separately into the fridge to save time!
Substitutions &Variations
If you or anyone that you are cooking for has a dietary restriction, there are ways to modify this recipe, (it's already gluten free!). Using the basic formula outlined in this recipe, you can make it to your own taste and style with ease!
- Dairy Free - sub out the milk for a plant based one, and also the cheese.
- Vegetarian - you can either leave out the chicken bouillon or replace it with a vegetable broth base.
- Quinoa/Grains - We like the texture of the tri color quinoa, as it is varied, (the red quinoa as well as the black variety have a little more chewiness), but if you like really fluffy quinoa, using just the white is your best bet. Brown rice will also work quite well here in a one to one ratio.
- Root Vegetable - Purple sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, are all great variations to try in this recipe.
- Cheese - Goat cheese, gruyere, sharp cheddar, just about any cheese that you would like will fit in perfectly.
- Herbs - Thyme, parsley, or even sage would be perfect in this.
- Garnishes - A little sour cream, chopped spring onions, diced red bell pepper all are great accents to add on top of this.
Storage & Helpful Hints
Store this in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to five days.
This quinoa bake is a perfect example of when a microwave is ideal. Heat on a dish, tightly wrapped in plastic, for about one and half minutes on high per individual serving.
This will freeze well when individually portioned and tightly wrapped for up to one month. This is one of those delicious recipes that is perfect for meal prep! Make a full batch, portion it out in individual containers or plastic wrap, and it will make a perfect healthy lunch or weeknight dinner when paired with some fresh greens or just about anything. The best thing is that it is great cold or room temperature too!
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Yes, you can use whatever cheese is your favorite.
Jason Miller says
Delicious!