Quick and Easy Cheesy Black Bean Quinoa Bake
Healthy and delicious, this cheesy black bean quinoa bake is quick and easy, making a perfect weeknight meal! Serve it on its own or with tortilla chips (it would also make a delicious filling for burritos, too!).
Oh boy, if Monday’s hitting you like Monday’s hitting me, I think you’ll be very pleased with today’s recipe offering.
The last couple weeks, I’ve been obsessed with easy, quick meals for dinner.
It’s the only way we are surviving right now.
I can honestly say in my 15-year career being a mom, we haven’t had a fall season this insane.
I’m trying not to complain. I mean, after all, I willingly brought these children into the world and prayed they would one day want to play soccer and fulfill their childhood existence.
I can only blame myself right now for dreaming of that day.
With three kids in soccer, each practicing multiple times a week, one in gymnastics and the other in after school Orchestra and a KidFit class (not to mention Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, homework and church activities thrown in there), I don’t think my family realizes how lucky they are to actually have ANY food offered to them at dinner time.
Or how lucky they are to have a mother who is semi-functional and alert this time of year (notice, I only said semi).
I know I’m not alone in feeling the Fall Crazies.
So in honor of general life chaos, this recipe is for you.
And me.
And the children.
Granted, this cheesy black bean quinoa bake (so incredibly tasty!) doesn’t fall strictly into the 30-minute/quick meal category, but it’s not far outside that boundary.
Even better, it can easily be assembled ahead of time and baked when you need it.
Let’s give a hurrah for make-ahead meals saving dinnertime one 9X13-inch pan at a time.
It also makes a great take-in meal – this hot, bubbling casserole and a bag of tortilla chips, and you are golden (so is that family you are taking it to!).
And the flavorful cheesy black bean quinoa mixture is super versatile! Our favorite application is to use it as a dip of sorts for tortilla chips.
But it would also make a fabulous quesadilla or crispy wrap filling (it actually reminds me a lot of those popular crispy southwest chicken wraps) or burrito filling, too.
Let’s talk about quinoa for a quick second. This recipe is inspired from a favorite slow cooker meal of ours: Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Quinoa Dippers.
I wanted a less creamy version with an enchilada vibe. And I wanted to bake it.
You could definitely pack this mixture into a slow cooker, though, and heat it up that way. That just came to me while I was typing this. Kind of a brilliant idea, really.
Anyway, back to quinoa.
This cheesy black bean quinoa bake calls for cooked quinoa.
Mostly, because I almost always have leftover, cooked quinoa in my refrigerator (we eat it a lot, a lot under stir-fry dishes and stroganoffs and the like).
And unless I’m repurposing it into bread or simple quinoa patties, I want some delicious ways to use it!
This casserole is a great way to do just that.
If you don’t have cooked quinoa, I’ve included some notes below the recipe to quickly cook up some quinoa.
Don’t want to scroll? (can’t blame you, life is hard sometimes) Here’s what I say down there:
My go-to method for cooking quinoa these days is to combine equal parts quinoa and water in the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, quick release. Otherwise, on the stovetop, combine 1 1/2 cups water or broth for every 1 cup of quinoa plus a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 14-15 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes off the heat.
And I think that’s about all the words I have inside me to say about this cheesy black bean quinoa bake.
It’s delicious! Easy! Healthy! Amazing. (Ok, so clearly I had a few more words; I’m done now.)
What to Serve With This
- Roasted vegetable or skillet green beans
- Tortilla chips for dipping and/or taco toppings (sour cream, chopped tomatoes, olives, etc)
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Cheesy Black Bean Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa, about 680 grams (see note)
- 2 (15-ounce each) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 12 ounces salsa verde, can sub your favorite tomato salsa, if desired
- Juice of 1 lime, about a tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked chopped chicken, (rotisserie chicken works great here – you can easily leave the chicken out for a meatless dish as well)
- 2-3 cups shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses
- Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the quinoa, black beans, tomato sauce, salsa verde, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chicken (if using). Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Spread half of the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Layer with the rest of the quinoa mixture followed by the remaining cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional) and serve with tortilla chips, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
WINNER recipe in my house. Great for make ahead meals and so delicious!
This is a staple in my recipe rotation and a go to for meals I am bringing to other families, especially my gluten free friends. It’s quick, easy to make ahead of time and always a hit.
What’s a good substitute for quinoa?
You can try using rice
I am not a quinoa fan but had some in the pantry and all the other ingredients so thought I’d try this out! My whole family loved it. We ate it with chips and the next day we ate in burrito form. Seriously so good. It’s a perfect dinner for a family or for taking to a friend as there is so much leftovers! It’s definitely going to go in our normal rotation for dinners.
Very yummy!!! I followed the recipe and added a can of corn. My husband absolutely loved it
Quinoa has been hit or miss with our family, but everyone – even our pickiest – loved this meal! The instant pot cooking directions worked great, and the only substitution I made was just using extra sharp cheddar since that what we had, and I didn’t have any cilantro but it was fine. Awesome recipe! Wonderful to have an easy, healthy meal made with ingredients we usually have on hand! Thanks for another great recipe, Mel!
Used all the substitutions–red salsa instead of green, pinto beans instead of black beans, ground beef instead of chicken, crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce–and it still turned out amazing. We topped it with a dollop of sour cream and we are enjoying the leftovers for lunch today (I made a 1.5 batch in our biggest casserole dish). You probably smile a little when we come back to report that we totally didn’t follow the recipe and it worked anyway–but I like to work with what I have on hand instead of running to the store, and I always like to read other people’s variations so I know whether what I have will work. So I share mine. 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe launch point Mel! I’m sure it is even more incredible if you actually use all the right ingredients, but I was very pleased with the results anyway.
Can I freeze this and bake later? How would you recommend doing so?
Yes, I think so. I’d probably bake from frozen, covered, for an hour, remove the foil and then bake until heated through (maybe another 45 minutes to an hour).
Super delicious bake! The feedback I received from my teen son was slightly less salsa verde, and perhaps add some black olive slices and ground beef. He loved making burritos with this bake, along with some sour cream. I’ll have to try that out with your fried tortilla wraps idea! Thanks Mel!! Love your recipes! Honestly, your site has saved my sanity. It’s not that I mind (entirely) that I am the primary chef in the house, but to have to THINK of a meal idea, then SHOP for it, then MAKE it, gets a tad old. It’s so nice to get ideas from someone else, whether it’s from my boys making suggestions, or from your recipe box!
Thanks so much, Linda!! And your son’s suggestions sound great!
OK, although I have also made this recipe, I just have to say that your quinoa-cooking tip is AWESOME! I have never done quinoa in the IP, because I figured it doesn’t take that long to do on the stove. But the texture is amazing!! No soggy quinoa here — it’s fluffy and perfect! I will never again cook my quinoa another way. Thanks, Mel!
I love the flavor! Though my beans were a little crunchy so it ruined the mouth feel. So far is really good with chips and tortilla, but I’m a noob at cooking quinoa so a little bit of the bitterness came through eating it without chops/tortillas.
Do you rinse the quinoa before you cook it? I cooked a batch unrinsed, and it tasted a little bitter. It was after I made it that I read online that you’re supposed to rinse the quinoa, to get the soapy coating off. Oddly, the packaging never mentioned rinsing. Perhaps Mel can weigh in on the rinse or not question?
I always rinse quinoa no matter the brand just to be safe. 🙂
This one of my go to meals for guests and for taking to others. It is so delicious! Today I turned the leftovers into zucchini boats. I can’t get enough of this meal!
What a great idea!
Delicious!! Sometimes I wonder why I try new recipes when company comes, but I’ve gotten in the habit of thinking well, if it comes to Mel, I should be safe. My kids both raised an eyebrow when they saw the food, but ended up loving it. Our guest (and the rest of us) did as well. Hooray for an easy meal with ingredients we pretty much always have on hand!
Glad it ended up being a hit!
Hey Mel, I know you’re super busy but I was wondering if this is a dish that can easily be frozen. I think my smaller family of four can eat half but in stead of cutting it in half I’ m wondering if I can freeze the second half and reheat later. So my question is how would I reheat? Do I have to let it thaw or do I put it right in the oven? I would LOVE it if you did a whole post on how to reheat foods — what foods reheat well, best reheating temps and times for most dishes, etc. Or maybe I should just dive right into google, huh?? Long time fan. Thanks so much!!
Hi Rebecca – yes, you could definitely freeze and reheat this! I usually try to thaw meals like that in the fridge overnight and then just pop in the oven, covered, at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, but you could also reheat from frozen (sometimes dishes like this will dry out if cooked too long, though). Maybe increase the time to an hour and 30 minutes for frozen? Good luck!
I have yet to have quinoa on hand when I want to make this but I’ve made it several times using brown rice and love to eat it, especially with chips!
How do I do this in the crockpot? Throw everything in and let it cook? Thanks! Can’t wait
Sure, I think you could try it that way. I’d suggest low vs high temp.
My oldest planned the menu this week and this was first on the list.
I was short on time and we needed to cook quinoa and chicken. I am still pretty new at the instantpot, but it seemed like a good idea. I tried sautéing the chicken, then cooking the quinoa and the chicken at the same time. It worked out! I was amazed with myself. The cleanup was a breeze. I am ready to jump on this bandwagon.
Everyone loves this and it’s so quick and keeps really well on nights when everyone is home at a different time!
This was really good!! We love the Tex mex dip so this was a fun switch:) ours turned a bit spicy, but I think that was the salsa. Everyone still ate it (kids included)
I’m so happy to see this! My sister Kara and I have been making a version of this for years. But we call it taco dip. It has rice, rather than quinoa and a packet of taco seasoning… I’ll try this one this week. Tonight, it was your pretzel rolls and white bean and sausage soup. 🙂 adding this one to my “book of Mel”.
This was the best quinoa dish I’ve ever made. Having the leftovers for lunch for the next few days. YUM.
I’m happy to hear that, Kerri…thank you!
Today, getting toward lunch time, I looked in the frig and pulled out a bit of quinoa (about 1/2 cup), black beans (1/4 cup) …I didn’t measure – those were bits left in little containers. I was going to throw them in broth with whatever bits of veg I could find when I remembered this recipe. I had everything but the salsa verde and cilantro garnish.
I have a 5x5x2 Corningware petite casserole so… eyeballed portions of everything, just increased tomatoes a bit for the salsa verde and made my petite casserole sized version. GREAT lunch! I think you said this above but this is one of those recipes that tastes far better than you might think looking at ingredients.
I made the meat free version today and it was so good! I cut the recipe in half, baked it in a 8×8 casserole for 20 minutes, and divided it into 4 portions. Lunch today, twice again later this week, and one more for the freezer. Next time I will add chicken and make it for dinner. Thank you for this protein and fiber rich recipe!
We LOVED this recipe! We eat vegan so I crumbled up a block of tofu and added some of the seasonings to it instead of chicken and just omitted the cheese. Thank you!!
Does quinoa go bad? Mine has been kept in the fridge, but it has been there a long time.
Is it cooked quinoa you are keeping in your refrigerator or the dry, uncooked quinoa? If it’s uncooked, it should last for several months.
We loved this recipe! Simple, delicious, easy. It is a keeper for busy school nights.
This was a HUGE hit at our house. We have 5 boys, ages 9 months to 9 years and everyone ate it. and LIKED it. Wahoo!!!
Actual quote from my husband about this dish tonight: “I had doubts about that bird-seed stuff but they way you did it up here, it was a masterpiece.” I had to sub in 2 cans of petite diced tomatoes for the tomato sauce and salsa, and it still turned out great!
Haha, that made me laugh!
It made me laugh too!
We had this last night for dinner and it’s definitely going on repeat at our house. After my husband’s third helping he pushed the pan away and asked me to not let him have any more because he couldn’t stop. I was surprised at how good it was. I chose to make it because it seemed like a healthy way to enjoy tortilla chips (I love those way too much), but it was even delicious on its own!
I really loved this Cheesy Blk Quinoa Bake. This recipe made so much, even w just a tiny amt of random chix in the fridge that was just begging to b used up. This was so yummy that I scooped some out of the glass 9 X 13 baking dish I used – this morning for breakfast! (I was sure to grab a few corn chips, too.) Since we only had one can of blk beans, I subbed in a can of red beans for a little bit of a combo effect, & it still was delightfully tasty! Most of all I was thankful for how easy this dish was to throw together. Even tho there’s just 3 of us at home now, I still want to put something hearty & nice on the table at supper time, & this definitely was just that. So when life was happening & getting in the way, what a comfort it was to put this non-fussy stunner together. Thank you, Mel.
This looks so warm and comfy. I love any kind of “bake” dishes. My family likes casseroles, too. I saw in the comments how you like the Trader Joe’s salsa verde. Have you ever done a post on your favorite Trader Joe’s products? Or could you?
Hey Teresa! Lots of people have asked about that – I think I’m going to include it (or at least part of it) in the newsletter this weekend.
Can I just say thank you for telling me how to make quinoa in the Insta pot! And the added bonus of not make me scroll down! We love you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
This was incredibly tasty (and easy!) with the salsa verde and spices! Thank you! I have a quinoa question. I, too, used the costco quinoa which is already rinsed so I didn’t rinse it prior to cooking in the IP. It turned out great! (must remember salt) but it’s not a moist quinoa that I think you would need for your quinoa whole wheat bread recipe? I want to try that but I’m cutting the recipe by 1/3 and am lazy and want to use my already cooked, not very moist, quinoa. Do you think there would be a problem? Thank you for all your recipes. You literally kept my family fed this last year since I discovered your site!
Hey Lisa – well, I don’t know if this really answers your question, but I use the Costco quinoa for that quinoa bread and it seems to work just fine. If the quinoa seems crunchy or dry (once it has been cooked), the texture might be more apparent in the bread. Usually the cooked quinoa I use for the bread is really plump (kind of hate that word, but it seemed to fit) and soft.
Delicious! I added a can of green chilis and used homemade salsa in place of the salsa verde. My kids loved it in taco shells with avocados atop!
Ate it. Loved it.
This was great! I made a full recipe and split it between two pans, so I’d have one to freeze. I hope it freezes well. Thanks for a great recipe, this is a keeper!
Great idea! Should freeze really well!
I have been searching for recipes with quinoa that my family will like–to no avail–until now! Love this! All other quinoa recipes seem to have an underlying bitter taste–not this one 🙂
So happy to hear that, Amy!
Is there a reason why you cook the quinoa in water and not broth in the instant pot? I was wanting the yummy flavor from the broth and the ease of the IP. I have 2 kiddos under 2 so no activities yet but I am still all about easy recipes 🙂
You can definitely use broth in the Instant Pot. I just left it out of the notes, but I’ll cook it in water OR broth (a lot of times if I’m making extra because I want to use it in my favorite quinoa bread recipe, I just do water so the bread doesn’t taste like chicken broth, but if you aren’t saving some for bread, broth is the way to go for flavor).
I made this last night and it was really good. I can’t wait to have the leftovers today! It was super easy and I followed the recipe exactly. I had not tried quinoa in the instant pot, and now I don’t think I’ll make it any other way. Thanks!
I’m glad you loved this one, Teresa! And I agree that quinoa in the IP is kind of a game changer. So easy. 🙂
Mel- can we substitute cooked rice for quinoa? Or, can we add the spices, beans, chicken and everything into a crockpot with uncooked rice and water? Which do you think would work better since we can’t use quinoa (allergy)? Thanks for being amazing!!!
Mandy
I definitely think rice could be substituted…I don’t know how the texture would change and you’d just want to keep an eye on it to increase liquid if it’s too dry. I don’t know about adding uncooked rice and liquid since the quantities would be quite different, but it’s worth experimenting!
Thanks for your reply Mel!!! I’ll try it soon and let you know.
The rice was a great substitute. Everyone loved the meal!!!!
Ok so I’m wondering if after I cook the quinoa in the instant pot if I just go right ahead and dump all the other ingredients in, stir it up, and turn on the old instant pot for a few minutes how that will turn out. Sounds like a challenge and I accept. That might make this under a half hour meal if it works. I can’t see why it wouldn’t- just hearing it all up.
Haha, I’m glad you accept it! I think it sounds like a great idea!
Ok, I’m returning and reporting. I made this all in the instant pot and it worked great. I did only use a small can of tomato sauce as the instant pot doesn’t loose liquid. The cheese on the top was melted but didn’t have that crusty texture that it would get from the oven. Didn’t bother me. I mixed half the cheese and then half on top. Only set the instant pot for 1 minute to heat it up but then was distracted and didn’t get back for 10 minutes on the warm mode. It was perfectly cooked. It probably is marginally better in the oven but not different enough for me to clean the instant pot from the quinoa and the casserole dish and wait the extra time for the oven. My hubby was out of town and this was so easy and good and fast- much better option than the fish sticks I was going to resort to. Oh yeah, forgot to mention I only had like maybe a half cup cooked frozen chicken so it was mostly meatless.
Thanks for the report, Joy! And all the details. Glad it worked!
Ok I’ve been thinking, why not dump the uncooked quinoa and water along with all the other ingredients in the instant pot and stir it up? Then cook it all for three minutes? You could hold off on some of the cheese to sprinkle on top after it was done. Someone try it and tell us if that works! 🙂
I took the challenge and tried cooking everything at once for 3 minutes. I’m making it meatless tonight, so no chicken, and I also used only one 8 oz can of tomato sauce. It came up to pressure and counted down as usual, but the quinoa didn’t cook. I’m not sure what the problem was. I am just going to simmer it all in the IP until it’s done and I’m sure it will be tasty.
This looks amazing and right up my alley! I was wondering where your pretty casserole dish is from though? I love it!
Thanks, Racheal! I picked it up at World Market (Cost Plus). 🙂
Totally going on the meal plan! Salsa Verde, as in green salsa, not green tomatillo sauce? Or maybe that’s the same thing.
It’s often the same thing (a lot of times salsa verde is made with tomatillos) – and in recipes like this it can be really adaptable.
Looks yummy! Thanks Mel! I’m right there with you—this has been our craziest fall yet too! Six kids in tons of activities and I teach music classes from home! Plus we’re in the process of adopting two more kids from Colombia! I must be a glutton for punishment! Either that or I just believe being a mom is the most important thing ever;)! You are amazing, I admire and love you so much! I seriously make your recipes everyday!!!
Oh my goodness, Mistie! You aren’t a glutton for punishment, you are amazing!! Seriously, you inspire me. And I’m there with you – that mom job IS the most important thing ever.
Could rice be substituted for the quinoa?
I think you could definitely try!
Looks delicious Mel! What brand of salsa Verde did you use?
I usually use Herdez or Trader Joe’s
Hats off to you, super mom! I have 2 kids (granted they are twins, so I’ve lived through some craziness) in 1 activity each and feel like I’m losing it when it comes to dinner some weeknights! Sometimes I wish I hadn’t set such a high standard earlier and they would accept cereal as an evening meal …
There is so much truth to your last statement. I have thought this so many times.
Amen to the Fall Craziness!! This looks super amazing and we love the slow cooker tex mex meal… so I know we will love this too!! A question I’ve been meaning to ask…. which you may have answered in another post, and I have forgotten…. What kind of quinoa do you use and where do you buy it …. is there a good place to buy it in bulk. I have tried a couple varieties and have yet to settle on what is the best… recommendations on quinoa would be great!! Thanks Mel!!
Hey Helen – I usually grab quinoa at Costco. That’s been my go-to for the last couple years. I also have some from Thrive (in #10 cans) but that’s more for food storage purposes.
We just had quinoa enchilada skillet last night for dinner. This looks so yummy! Excited to try it!
Thanks, Kate!
I’m so glad to know I’m not alone in my sentiments about the craziness of Fall 2017 :)! This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, Jenny! Hang in there!