Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Baked Casserole

This is one of my favorite summer dishes. It's light, but filling and yummy. Once again Quinoa is high in protein so it makes for a great vegetarian option. Since this casserole is baked, it requires a noodle that won't dry up too much after being in the oven. Rice noodles don't quite make that cut. This is a great dish to bring to a potluck.

Tasty Ingredients
Not pictured: Snap Peas

Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Baked Casserole Ingredients:
1 Package of Quinoa Pasta (any shape you like)
1/2 Package of Sugar Snap Peas
1/2 Package of Steam-able Broccoli Wokly
1 Cup Carrot Chips
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
3/4 of a Medium Size Zucchini, coined and quartered
(You can really use lot of different veggies for this recipe, just make sure the pieces are bit-sized)
1 Cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Hendrickson's Original Sweet Oil and Vinegar Dressing
Olive Oil
Ground Pepper (to taste)
Garlic Salt (to taste)
Cooking Spray (Pam)

First put water in a large pot and put it on the stove on high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Boiling Quinoa

Next chop all the veggies that require it. Once the water is boiling, put the noodles into the water and stir occasionally so the noodles don't stick to the bottom. Boil for 7 minutes. On another area of the stove, put a large pan on a medium heat for about 6 minutes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the peppers, zucchini, snap peas, carrots and a dash of pepper to the pan. Steam the broccoli in the microwave.

Veggies cooking up

Drain the pasta. Spray a 13" x 9" oven safe pan with Pam. Then pour the pasta into the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the noodles with the dressing to keep it from drying out.

Cooked Quinoa

Once the veggies are slightly tender, pour them into the pasta pot. Omit the excess oil. Add the steamed broccoli. Toss the veggies with some dressing, pepper and garlic salt to flavor them.

Tossed with dressing and seasonings

Veggies on top of noodles

Cheese topping

Pour the veggies over the pasta. Then sprinkle the cheese on top and some more black pepper. Bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Ready to eat

This is a wonderful summer recipe that features lots of veggies and color.