Blue Apron Mexican-style Quinoa & Beef Casserole
Blue Apron - you know the name, right? A food service that delivers a recipe and all the ingredients right to your door. Interesting idea. They also provide the recipes gratis.
So I thought I'd try this one. And as I live in North Douglas County, a very rural environment with extremely limited grocery market inventory, this would have been a good one to have delivered. No Mexican Crema in my market so I went with sour cream. And since I had a sharp cheddar in the fridge, I skipped the Monterey Jack Cheese. The end result may have suffered. Just don't know.
Ingredients
8 Ounces Ground Beef
¾ Cup White Quinoa
1 15-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Cup Black Beans
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red Onion
1 Bunch Cilantro
Knick Knacks
3 Ounces Monterey Jack Cheese
1 Jalapeño Pepper
½ Cup Mexican Crema
2 Teaspoons Mexican Casserole Spice Blend
(Ground Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Chile Powder, Garlic
Powder & Cayenne Pepper)
Makes 3 Servings So it says. (Mine made an easy four servings for the delicate little flower that is me.)
About 700 Calories Per Serving
Cooking Time: 35 to 45 minutes
Cook the quinoa:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the quinoa. Cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
While the quinoa cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Rinse and drain the beans. Remove and discard the stem, ribs and seeds of the bell pepper; medium dice the bell pepper. Thinly slice the jalapeño into rounds. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Grate the cheese.
While the quinoa continues to cook, in a large pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the bell pepper, onion and spice blend to the pot of browned beef; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add the diced tomatoes, beans and ½ cup of water; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Remove from heat.
Stir the cooked quinoa and Mexican crema into the beef and vegetable mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish. Evenly top with the grated cheese.
Place the assembled casserole onto a sheet pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Let stand for at least 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with the cilantro and as much of the jalapeño as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Enjoy!
So I thought I'd try this one. And as I live in North Douglas County, a very rural environment with extremely limited grocery market inventory, this would have been a good one to have delivered. No Mexican Crema in my market so I went with sour cream. And since I had a sharp cheddar in the fridge, I skipped the Monterey Jack Cheese. The end result may have suffered. Just don't know.
Ingredients
8 Ounces Ground Beef
¾ Cup White Quinoa
1 15-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Cup Black Beans
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red Onion
1 Bunch Cilantro
Knick Knacks
3 Ounces Monterey Jack Cheese
1 Jalapeño Pepper
½ Cup Mexican Crema
2 Teaspoons Mexican Casserole Spice Blend
(Ground Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Chile Powder, Garlic
Powder & Cayenne Pepper)
Makes 3 Servings So it says. (Mine made an easy four servings for the delicate little flower that is me.)
About 700 Calories Per Serving
Cooking Time: 35 to 45 minutes
Cook the quinoa:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the quinoa. Cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
While the quinoa cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Rinse and drain the beans. Remove and discard the stem, ribs and seeds of the bell pepper; medium dice the bell pepper. Thinly slice the jalapeño into rounds. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Grate the cheese.
While the quinoa continues to cook, in a large pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the bell pepper, onion and spice blend to the pot of browned beef; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add the diced tomatoes, beans and ½ cup of water; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Remove from heat.
Stir the cooked quinoa and Mexican crema into the beef and vegetable mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish. Evenly top with the grated cheese.
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| Not the best photo. Shall I spend more time on it? Or just eat it? Hmmm. |
Place the assembled casserole onto a sheet pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Let stand for at least 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with the cilantro and as much of the jalapeño as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Enjoy!
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