Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake

January 26, 2017 | | | | |
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5 from 2 votes

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Stuffed Poblano Quinoa BakeGreetings from LA, people of the Internet!

I’m here all week for work-related activities, and I’m squeezing in some QT with my dad, little brother, and a handful of my favorite LA residents, which is always a treat. I just feel healthier and happier when I’m here and all connected to my Californian roots and shit. Vitamin D, and farmer’s market salads, and turmeric shots, oh my! (I’m mildly ashamed to admit that I’ve really let my inner Gwyneth off her leash this week, and she is going HAM on the SoCal wellness kool-aid.)

My roommate and I currently have a 5-7 year plan to move out here—the dude likes to tack on a couple extra years every so often, which is unforgivable—but I’m hoping to bump up that timeline significantly. I’ve actually come up with a detailed plan that I think will be quite effective in accomplishing my goal:

Marry. Gift Logan a very cute pupper that he is obsessed with. Kidnap said pupper and take it to LA where I have secretly purchased a house. Tell Logan that if he ever wants to see his dog (or me) again, he knows where to find us. BOOM. We live in California!!

And Logan says he’s the “planner” in the relationship. Pish-tosh emoji.

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa BakeThe only downside to this week’s LA adventure is the fact that I’m currently staying at the world’s creepiest Airbnb. I chose it because I needed a kitchen for various thangs this week (and the kitchen is great!), but I now regret choosing to stay in a strange 2-bedroom apartment solo. The rooms are giant—much bigger than the pictures suggested—and there are approximately six pieces of furniture in the entire place, which has far too many intruder hiding spots closets for my liking.

Long story short, I get very cold/lonely/scared at night, and my new bedtime routine is to cocoon myself in the bed and fantasize about being koala hugged by Logan in front of a fire while eating a piping hot bowl of Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake.

TMI?

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa BakeI know I say this about every new quinoa bake, but this quarter’s offering might be my best one yet! (Okay, okay. Second best. Cheeseburger Quinoa Bake is the Beyoncé of my bakes. She shall never be dethroned.)

I modeled this epic whole grain casserole on the classic flavors of a stuffed poblano. There’s something supremely comforting about the combo of meat, beans, melted cheese, and the smoky spice of roasted poblano peppers, and this bake really brings the heat on the flavor front. I made a few different versions before settling on the perfect ingredient proportions in this recipe, and I am Logan-style psyched for you to finally take this bake for a spin. I’m anxiously awaiting your compliments feedback.

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa BakeAs with all quinoa bakes, this hearty and seemingly indulgent recipe still falls into the healthy(ish) category and is very much Dude Diet approved. Superfood quinoa provides plenty of whole grain fiber and protein, pinto beans and a good salsa (please choose one with minimally processed ingredients and limited sugar or make your own) serve up a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and the responsible amounts of 90% lean ground beef and cheese won’t derail your wonderland body progress. If you want to lighten things up a tad, feel free to sub ground chicken or turkey for beef and add a handful of chopped spinach or kale into the mix. I salute you.

I’m also pleased to report that executing this quinoa bake is relatively painless, and the entire recipe will run you under an hour from start to finish. (Don’t panic, only half of that is hands-on time. You can do it!) The only annoying step is prepping the poblanos, but it’s really not so bad. Just pop the whole peppers under the broiler until they’re lightly charred and let them cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, remove their skins (they should peel right off), seed them, and give them a rough chop. Done and done. And you can deal with all the pepper shenanigans while your quinoa cooks and rests. Efficiency!

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa BakeAs you can see from the glamour shots, I garnished this particular bake with sliced avocado, cilantro and extra salsa, BUT I have since experimented with different toppings, and I encourage you to do the same. A little guac and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, a sprinkling of scallions, pickled jalapenos, chopped lettuce if you like a little greenery and crunch, etc. Get creative, friends.

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake: (Serves 4 generously)

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa BakeIngredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, drained and rinsed
1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth (Low-sodium beef or chicken broth are also great!)
2 large poblano peppers
¾ pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1¼ cup salsa
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1½ cups grated pepper Jack cheese, divided
¼ cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
For serving: (optional)
Sliced avocado or guacamole
Fresh cilantro
Salsa
Hot sauce of your choice

Preparing your Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake:

-Combine the quinoa and vegetable broth in a small saucepan and to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover the saucepan with a lid, and cook for 14 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

-Meanwhile, char the poblanos. Pre-heat the broiler on high. Place the peppers on a baking sheet.

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake-Broil for 10-15 minutes, turning the peppers every few minutes, until softened and lightly charred in spots.

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake-Let the peppers cool to room temperature, then remove their skins. (You should be able to easily peel the skin off easily with your hands!) Slice the peppers in half, and remove and discard the seeds and stems.

-Finely chop the peppers and briefly set aside.

-Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

-Heat a large (12- to 14-inch) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ground beef to the pan. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat into very small pieces with a spatula or wooden spoon, until completely browned. Add 1¾ teaspoons of the smoked paprika and the cumin to the beef. Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices.

-Stir in the chopped peppers and pinto beans.

-Stir in the salsa, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake-Turn off the heat and fold in the cooked quinoa, cilantro, and half of the cheese. (Taste your filling. It shouldn’t need any salt, but it’s always worth checking.) Lightly smooth the top of the filling with a spatula. Add the remaining cheese in an even layer and sprinkle with the panko and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika.

-Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the panko is very lightly browned. Serve warm with toppings of your choice.

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake

Stuffed Poblano Quinoa Bake

Author - Serena Wolf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa drained and rinsed
  • cups low-sodium vegetable broth Low-sodium beef or chicken broth are also great!
  • 2 large poblano peppers
  • ¾ pound lean ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika divided
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 15.5- ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • cup salsa
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
  • cups grated pepper jack cheese divided
  • ¼ cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

For serving: (optional)

  • Sliced avocado or guacamole
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Salsa
  • Hot sauce

Instructions

  • Combine the quinoa and vegetable broth in a small saucepan and to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover the saucepan with a lid, and cook for 14 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, char the poblanos. Pre-heat the broiler on high. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning the peppers every few minutes, until softened and lightly charred in spots. Let the peppers cool to room temperature, then remove their skins. (You should be able to easily peel the skin off easily with your hands!) Slice the peppers in half, and remove and discard the seeds and stems. Finely chop the peppers and briefly set aside.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Heat a large (12- to 14-inch) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ground beef to the pan. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat into very small pieces with a spatula or wooden spoon, until completely browned. Add 1¾ teaspoons of the smoked paprika and the cumin to the beef. Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices then stir in the chopped peppers and pinto beans. Stir in the salsa, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Turn off the heat and fold in the cooked quinoa, cilantro, and half of the cheese. (Taste your filling. It shouldn’t need any salt, but it’s always worth checking.) Lightly smooth the top of the filling with a spatula. Add the remaining cheese in an even layer and sprinkle with the panko and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the panko is very lightly browned. Serve warm with toppings of your choice.

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17 Comments

  1. Meredith Eng on January 10, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    I finally made after it showed up in your emptying the nets post, and it is amazing. This is for sure my fave quinoa bake. I’ve tried a bunch of the others and never loved them quite as much as I wanted to, but this one made me realize that I think I like a slightly saucy bake. I used maybe 1/4 cup more of salsa just to finish the jar, and I took it out of the oven early because I was hungry and loooved it, but I put it back in the oven because I am a direction-follower, and once it cooked up a bit more I realized I wanted more of the saucy texture. This was easily remedied by throwing some cholula on top, but I wanted to bring it up in case anyone else had not been loving their quinoa bakes as much as they hoped! I also thought it came together pretty quickly, which was definitely an added bonus!

  2. Krista Patel on February 26, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your blog. It was so delicious! Look forward to trying more recipes from you. 🙂

    • Serena Wolf on February 28, 2017 at 4:45 pm

      So happy to hear this was a success, and fingers crossed this is your first of many quinoa bakes!!

  3. Adrienne Brady on February 7, 2017 at 10:31 am

    Making this for dinner on Thursday!! So excited 🙂

  4. Susan Stone on February 1, 2017 at 11:06 pm

    This recipe is a real winner! I didn’t quite make it as written – used black beans in place of pinto, because that’s what I had; used plain jack cheese to be kind to my stomach; and used homemade salsa verde in place of red salsa (personal taste preference). No hot sauce for us. I would normally use peruano beans in place of pintos – personal preference once again. So now I’m hooked on quinoa bakes… This recipe is definitely a keeper.

    • Serena Wolf on February 2, 2017 at 10:03 am

      Amazing, love the you do you modifications–your version sounds delicious!!

  5. ChelseaKarma on January 30, 2017 at 12:21 pm

    This is my favorite recipe by far! It’s so good, and it’s healthy enough to involve it into my diet plan! Thank you so much for constantly sharing these recipes to always spice up my meal plan (: Feel free to check out my diet program http://wp.me/p8jBMO-l

    • Serena Wolf on February 2, 2017 at 9:59 am

      Honored that my recipes have made it into your rotation, and thrilled that this one was such a hit!!

  6. Alex Morris on January 29, 2017 at 8:03 pm

    Ohhhhh my goodness. I’ve made every single one of your quinoa bakes, and this one is my absolute fave. I topped it with green Cholula and guac, and it was seriously amazing. Thank you!!

    • Serena Wolf on February 2, 2017 at 9:59 am

      YES, girl!!! This is the ultimate compliment knowing how much you love ze quinoa bakes. So pumped this is the new fave.

  7. Heather on January 27, 2017 at 5:02 pm

    Hey Serena, I can’t eat quinoa, which I know is the absolute worst thing EVER! Any ideas for a substitute that has similar health benefits?

    • Serena Wolf on January 27, 2017 at 5:11 pm

      No quinoa?!! (Horror of horrors!) I think this would be awesome with brown rice, which still brings all the whole grain health benefits.

  8. Meredith Eng on January 26, 2017 at 10:41 pm

    How have you not been promoting the Dude Diet’s cameo on Chicago Fire more?!?! I was so surprised and excited I screamed and scared the cats. (I know, my apartment is a thrilling place.) But in all seriousness I’m very happy for you!

    • Serena Wolf on January 27, 2017 at 5:12 pm

      Hahahahah that visual is amazing! I posted the vid on insta, but you’re right, I need to pimp that segment EVERYWHERE! xox

  9. Alfredo Garcia on January 26, 2017 at 7:03 pm

    I will be savoring this quinoa bake until the day I make it

  10. ChelseaKarma on January 26, 2017 at 12:24 pm

    That looks so good, thank you for sharing the recipe! I will for sure include this into my meal plan next week. Having a good source of complex carbs is so important for feeling full all the time. I learned a lot about nutrition and have lost a lot of weight following this diet program, feel free to check it out http://wp.me/p8jBMO-l

  11. Susan Stone on January 26, 2017 at 10:59 am

    Reading that this bake is like stuffed poblanos took me right back to my local market when I did this week’s grocery shopping, and I walked in to the scent of roasting chiles. One of the nicest aromas ever. I want to put this recipe on my menu plan for next week, but I’ll be making my own green salsa (HATE store bought red salsa) and using regular jack cheese instead of pepper jack. Us old folks don’t deal well with pepper heat any more (I do have some pepper jack in my fridge, which is why I know it’s too hot).

    Having grown up and lived in the Los Angeles area for what is now half my life time, I can’t fathom wanting to go back. I go back far enough to remember when they built the parking lots they call freeways. These days I’m much happier living in a slower-paced city (El Paso, TX). That said, if you really want to be in LA I hope you make it sooner rather than later, though I do understand why Logan would keep adding years to the timing of that move…

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