Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (or more)
- 2 Tablespoons bacon fat, plus more to grease pan
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
- 1 dash garlic salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 dash paprika
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese, or whatever
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a fine mesh strainer, thoroughly rinse the quinoa and set aside.
Cook the bacon in a skillet -- leave a little fat in the pan and save the rest -- and set aside.
In the skillet, heat some bacon fat over medium-high heat and whisk in the flour. Keep whisking until the mixture starts to bubble and toasts to a golden-brown color. Reduce heat and whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Continue cooking and whisking until the sauce becomes foamy and creamy. Add salt to taste, then turn off heat and set aside.
In a bowl, combine salt, poultry seasoning, paprika and cayenne. Rub the mixture into the chicken breasts and set aside.
Grease a casserole dish with bacon fat. Add the quinoa, then the sauce, then the bacon, then the chicken. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid.
While the casserole is in the oven, boil a small pot of salted water. Add the broccoli and boil for 1 minute or until the broccoli turns bright green. Strain the broccoli and rinse with cold water to cool. Shake to remove excess water.
When the casserole comes out of the oven, sprinkle the broccoli and cheese on top. Bake for 5 minutes, then broil until the cheese turns golden brown.