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Taco Wednesday anyone?
Or really, lets just go with tacos any day. They always win.
With pretty much everyone. Unless they’re this quinoa version and your feeding well, my family.
If you have been reading for pretty much any amount of time, than you know that my brothers don’t eat quinoa. Heck they will not even go anywhere near the stuff.
So yeah, this meal was not for them, but they are totally missing out because this is some good Mexican. Same awesome flavor, just a little healthier.
I actually almost felt (sort of) bad pulling this out of the oven in front of them the second time.
It smelled like tacos, it looked super cheesy, but then one look at the smile on my face and they knew that something was up. Kai called it right away, “wait, there’s no meat in this, is there”?
I mean seriously, they know me too well.
Whatever, the rest of us quinoa eaters loved this.
And I mean, just look at all of this cheese!!
Yup.
I had too. The cheese stretch. Nothin’ better.
So there’s the cheese, but there is also tortilla chips stirred in with the quinoa making it kind of similar to chilaquiles. If you added a fried egg on top you would be my hero.
Please do it!
Just like this caprese quinoa bake I made over the summer, this too is super easy to make. This dish has a few more ingredients, but don’t let them freak you out. Promise it is just as easy and quick. Perfect for a mid-week, early spring meal when the weather could be really nice or just plain miserable.
It’s full on snowing here and yet I do believe tomorrow is officially spring, so this healthy, cheesy comfort food is very welcomed.
Also, there is queso fresco involved. Just too good.
Cheesy Black Bean + Quinoa Taco Bake.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 of a large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 jalapeños, seeded + chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- a good pinch of cayenne pepper, more or less to your taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, use 2 1/12 cups for a larger dish
- 2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if using canned
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cup Mexican beer or water, I used I used Negra Modelo
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
- 1/3 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
Toppings
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 head butter lettuce, chopped
- queso fresco, crumbled
- blue or yellow corn tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 or 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add the oil and then the onions, garlic, red bell peppers and jalapeños, cook 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft. To the skillet add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, pepper, salt and cayenne. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook 1 minute. Stir the quinoa and black beans, mix well.
- Add the lime juice and beer (or water). Simmer until the beer has cooked out, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tortilla chips, pepper jack cheese and some fresh chopped cilantro if desired. Transfer the quinoa to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then turn the broiler on and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro, grape tomatoes, diced avocado and tortilla chips. Serve!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Oh, double also, those tomatoes you see above – they were delicious. Spring is on its way somewhere!
So, I just realized I’ve been pinning all of your recipes via Food Gawker… Absolutely all of them stand out to me!
I actually made this dish tonight and loved it! Anything that satisfies me (a vegetarian) and my meat-eating husband is a definite win. Thanks for sharing and keep it up… I look forward to testing out more of your creations!
HAha! YA!
Thanks Emily!
First recipe I’ve made of yours; they all look so wonderful! I left the beer out and used water but it was definitely lacking salt, to my taste. So I added in some garlic salt and it was perfect! I doubled the recipe since I’m going out of town this weekend and leaving the husband and kids with a dish to bake while I’m gone. I used one can of black beans and a pound of ground turkey. Everyone had seconds and absolutely loved this! Nice job!
So happy you all loved it!!!
Just wanted to let you know, I made this for Sunday supper & it was awesome. Even in spite of it’s lack of meat, my hubby loved it & went back for more. Another home run for HBH!
Aww! This make me so happy! Thanks!
I don’t like quinoa as much as I should as a vegetarian. But I think this might be my cure! I can’t wait to try it! I just found your blog through Pinterest and I completely love it. Your recipes are amazing but also the design! I have been wanting to try moving gifs on my recipe posts but I wasn’t sure how it would work- you are totally totally rocking it! Amazing work!
Thank you so much, Christine!! The gifs are fun, but it took me forever to figure them out. If you need any help just shoot me an email! 🙂
This was amazing! Had it tonight, mind blowing! 🙂
So happy you loved it!! Thanks!
this sounds I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! Absolutely gorgeous photos! Seriously so sad I dont have an oven in the apt I’m renting for the month in Malaysia otherwise I would be making this ASAP!
Thank you! 🙂
Hello! I discovered your recipes a short while ago, and I’ve now made three dishes in fairly quick succession (this [I just finished stuffing my face with quinoa and beans], the chili cashew shrimp noodles and the fancy Thai ramen), and they were all fantastic! Thank you for your recipes – I look forward to trying more of them. 🙂
Aww! This makes me so happy! Thank you so much for making my stuff. I am thrilled you are enjoying it!
Oh that cheese stretch! Sign me up for a bowl of this deliciousness!
I made a taco & quinoa bake last night, not yours, total coincidence – it was kind of meh. That is what I get for not paying attention!
I made this last night as a side for soft steak tacos’ it really worked out a) for me as I prefer to eat vedgetarian dishes and for my family as they also put them in their tacos. I also am a bit lighter on the scales today. Great for leftovers. Will definately make again. I used red quinioa
Tacos definitely always win!! Love this!
agree! Thanks Katrina!
As soon as I saw this, I knew I was making it for dinner. I made one version with ground beef instead of Quinoa. My family is exactly like your brothers in that regard. “No meat? No food”. I made one quinoa version, and one ground beef version. AWEESOME SAUCE
Haha! I actually did the same thing for the meat eaters. Too funny!
Thanks!
I think the devil invented quinoa. So much wasted potential here. SMH
Dude, you have got ISSUES.
I had taco salad for dinner but this bake looks even better. Who could resist that cheese?!
Taco salads are delicious too!
You are the master of the “cheese stretch” photo! These are superb (as always)! It’s like you live in some alternate universe where the lighting is always ideal for photography.
I can’t wait to try this lightened up taco dish!! I love quinoa!
Haha! Oh my gosh, I wish!! LOL! You should see me, you would not be saying the same thing. My set up is crazy and far from perfect, but it works!
Thanks so much, Lindsey!