Quinoa pizza casserole

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (14-oz.) jar of pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups of your favorite pizza toppings (I used finely chopped pepperoni, mushrooms, green and red bell peppers, and spinach leaves)

Preparation

Carefully rinse the quinoa with a fine mesh strainer. Add quinoa and vegetable broth to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. This step can be done ahead of time; just store quinoa in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray an 8x8-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread about a ¼ cup of the pizza sauce on the bottom of the pan. Spread a layer of quinoa evenly on top of the sauce. Then sprinkle a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a layer of pizza toppings. Repeat layering, starting with sauce, quinoa, cheese and toppings, just like you do with lasagna. It doesn’t matter how many layers you end up with, but be sure to end with sauce, cheese and toppings on the very top layer.

Place casserole dish into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling. If desired, you can finish by broiling in the oven for a few minutes to get the cheese nice and golden on top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition analysis per serving: 420 calories, 18 g fat, 23 g protein, 43 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1120 mg sodium