What's for Dinner?

My mom recently told me that if I'm going to write a blog per day, I'm going to need to throw in some recipes. Well... today's post is a recipe that I love love LOVE and that's not at all difficult to make. I'm going to share my version, which is slightly different than the version you may find online because, I mean, I always add extra cheese and I rarely measure much of anything.

Here goes...

Quinoa & Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1 cup rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded... whichever you prefer

• 1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce (I use mild or medium; medium offers a fun kick!)

• 1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles

• 3/4 cup corn kernels, frozen

• 1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (sometimes I use dried, though)

• 1/2ish teaspoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (I often add more than this; I like chili powder)

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• A lot of shredded cheddar cheese... at least 1 cup

• A lot of mozzarella cheese... at least 1 cup

• 1 avocado, peeled and diced

• A bunch of grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped

Instructions

• Prepare quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a baking dish (8x8" or 9x12" or whatever you have, really) by coating it with nonstick spray.

Side note about nonstick sprays...

I always think of two things every single time I pull Pam out of my cupboard. The first is my mom quoting, "Pam? Who is this Pam?" which is apparently a line from an old commercial advertising for -- you guessed it! -- Pam.

The second is this thing that happened while I was BIG TIME crushing on Paul "PJ" James, who is a fitness god and instructor who hails from down under, but currently resides in California. Years and years ago, he intentionally gained 88 pounds (that's half his body weight!) by eating whatever he wanted and not exercising at all for six months. Then he spent the following six months losing the weight through diet and exercise. His documentary is called Fat and Back and I am not exaggerating when I say I've watched it at least five times. I. LOVE. HIM.

PJ would absolutely not approve of today's recipe, but you should eat it anyway because the odds of PJ finding out that you're not following his recommended meal plan is very slim. I've emailed him several times and he's never responded. Sad, huh?

Anyway, upon reading PJ's book (Take It Off, Keep It Off), I learned of something called a "mister," and for some reason I assumed this "mister" was in reference to a man's title. Like... "Mr." What I did not realize is that a "mister" is merely a Pam-esque container in which one can place oil and then mist a pan with it. For the longest time, I really believed that this mysterious "mister" was a special kitchen contraption geared toward men.

It's not. PJ's "mister" is nothing fancy, folks, so don't get your hopes up. But do look up PJ because his accent is dreamy.

Okay. Back to the recipe.

• In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chicken, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 3/4 cup cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

• Spread quinoa-and-chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Place into oven, baking until bubbly and the cheeses have melted... about twenty minutes or so.

• Serve with the chopped avocados and tomatoes. Sometimes I also add a plop of sour cream (or Greek yogurt) on top because I think that makes it taste even better!

Okay. That is today's blog. I hope you enjoyed it and have a new option for dinner this weekend.