Pizza Quinoa Casserole
By Lee Funke
9/23/2023
If you’re looking for a dinner that packs in the protein, you’re going to adore this Pizza Quinoa Casserole!
This one-pot meal is made completely in one dish. That’s right dump everything into a casserole dish, give it a stir, sprinkle on some cheese and pepperoni and bake.
This pizza quinoa casserole is an OG Fit Foodie recipe that we recently retested and re-photographed. It reminds me about why I fell in love with food blogging and that food can be creative and fun!
What You Need for Pizza Quinoa Casserole
The base of this recipe is made with quinoa and marinara sauce . Italian seasoning , garlic, and onion give it a zesty Italian flavor, and then the toppings.
We’re all about the toppings! Top with parmesan and mozzarella cheese and then we added pepperoni slices for even more protein.
Pizza Quinoa Casserole Variations
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times for my family, and I love adding in extra veggies right into the quinoa mixture. Mushroom is a winner and you can even do bell pepper.
Cheese – feel free to use a pizza blend cheese or swap for any other shredded cheese.
Toppings – if you’re not into pepperoni, you can leave those out or swap them for something else such as peppers and onions, mushrooms, olives, or ground sausage.
Your quinoa could be uncooked because you didn’t keep it covered long enough or didn’t use enough liquid.
Feel free to swap the marinara sauce for pizza sauce.
Omit the pepperoni or swap it for other vegetarian toppings.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. To reheat: transfer the casserole onto a microwave-safe dish and microwave for around 60 seconds.
Can you freeze this casserole?
Cook the casserole as-directed. Then, tightly cover it and freeze it for up to 3 months.
How to Serve this Casserole
I like to let my casserole sit for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven to let everything settle a bit. That way, when you slice it, it keeps its form. Top with fresh or dried oregano and red pepper flakes.
Serve this next to a Spring salad mix or a Caesar salad .
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1.5 cups uncooked white quinoa , rinsed
- ▢ 24 oz. marinara sauce
- ▢ 1 cup water
- ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic , minced
- ▢ ½ medium white onion , minced and separated
- ▢ 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ▢ ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ▢ 6 oz. pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Add the quinoa, marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, garlic, and onion to the casserole dish. Stir all of the ingredients together until combined and the quinoa is submerged in the sauce.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
- Stir the casserole, wipe the edges so the sauce doesn’t burn, and re-cover the casserole. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until almost all the liquid has absorbed and the quinoa sprouts.
- Uncover the casserole and evenly spread the cheese over the casserole. Top with pepperoni and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. If the casserole still seems ‘watery’ cover the casserole while it rests.
- Top with dried oregano and enjoy.
Tips & Notes
- The ratio of water to quinoa should be 1.5 cups quinoa to 4 cups liquid. If you don’t have enough marinara, substitute it with water or broth.
- The water can be replaced with broth for extra flavor.
- If you’d like a spicier casserole, add ½-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes in step #2.
- If don’t have marinara sauce or pizza sauce, you can use plain, canned tomato sauce. Just be sure to add two extra teaspoons of Italian seasoning along with ½ – 1 teaspoon extra of salt.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
Meat Lovers Pizza Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups uncooked white quinoa rinsed
- 24 oz. marinara sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ medium white onion minced and separated
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 6 oz. pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Add the quinoa, marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, garlic, and onion to the casserole dish. Stir all of the ingredients together until combined and the quinoa is submerged in the sauce.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
- Stir the casserole, wipe the edges so the sauce doesn’t burn, and re-cover the casserole. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until almost all the liquid has absorbed and the quinoa sprouts.
- Uncover the casserole and evenly spread the cheese over the casserole. Top with pepperoni and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. If the casserole still seems ‘watery’ cover the casserole while it rests.
- Top with dried oregano and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- The ratio of water to quinoa should be 1.5 cups quinoa to 4 cups liquid. If you don’t have enough marinara, substitute it with water or broth.
- The water can be replaced with broth for extra flavor.
- If you’d like a spicier casserole, add ½-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes in step #2.
- If don’t have marinara sauce or pizza sauce, you can use plain, canned tomato sauce. Just be sure to add two extra teaspoons of Italian seasoning along with ½ - 1 teaspoon extra of salt.
