Broccoli & Chicken with Bacon Quinoa Bake

 picture and recipe from pinchofyum.com

I've been trying my best to experiment with healthier recipes and expand my palate. I tried this last night with a fresh home-made french loaf. It was delicious. I've tried many quinoa recipes lately and this is the only one that I feel is good enough to share. I was determined not to go to the store so I made several changes to the original recipe (from pinchofyum.com) to work with things I had in my pantry.

Broccoli & Chicken with Bacon Quinoa Bake
2 c chicken broth 
1 c milk divided (I used fat free) 
1 t poultry seasoning (I used Mrs.Dash)
1/2 c flour
1 c uncooked quinoa
1/4 c bacon bits or fresh bacon
1 lb raw chicken breast  sliced
8 oz broccoli
cheddar cheese (the recipe calls for gruyere...way too fancy for us! But I bet it would be yummy!)
salt and pepper

Bring chicken broth and 1/2 c milk to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 c milk and poultry seasoning and 1/2 c flour and form a thick bechamel type sauce. Pour boiled broth mixture and bechamel into a greased 9x13 pan. Add 1 c. uncooked quinoa and bacon. Lay uncooked chicken breast throughout and season with salt and pepper generously. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or as needed. LIGHTLY steam broccoli. Place alongside chicken and quinoa and then spread cheese over. Bake for an additional ten minutes.