Creamy Chicken and Quinoa Cordon Bleu Casserole

This is a wonderful (and again, easy) dish that so reminds me of those tasty little Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Quinoa Bites (see 3-23-13 post) and a great place to use the homemade condensed cream of chicken soup (see 9-18-14 post).  It's a great one-dish meal or add a simple green side salad and a good crusty bread.  There will be a bit of residual cooking of the quinoa, so don't let it completely thicken in the oven.  I cut the recipe in half since there are just two of us (and made in an 8x8" dish).  Makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.

CREAMY CHICKEN and QUINOA CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE (serves 6)

2 2/3 cups (double batch) homemade condensed cream of chicken soup (see 9-18-14 post), the equivalent of two 10.75 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1-2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup chopped deli ham (or leftover ham of any sort)
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups broccoli browns, chopped into bite-size pieces if needed
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly grease a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the homemade condensed cream of chicken soup, broth, S&P, quinoa, chicken, ham, Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the casserole from the oven, uncovered, and give it a good stir.  Return to the oven and bake uncovered for about 12-14 more minutes (I used a NuWave, cooked for 30 minutes and then for 20 minutes on 1" rack).

While the casserole bakes, steam the broccoli in the microwave or on the stovetop until bright green and just barely crisp-tender.   Stir the broccoli into the casserole, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake another 10 minutes until the quinoa is plump and tender and the edges are golden and bubbling.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.  This is really important as it will help the casserole to firm up and also make sure the quinoa is completely tender.  Serve warm, don't wait too terribly long to serve it as it gets less creamy the longer it sits.