Mexican Quinoa Skillet Dinner

This Mexican quinoa is a vegetarian and gluten free recipe that utilizes leftovers! The best part? It’s all made in one pan! It’s great for a quick dinner or as an appetizer for football season. Thanks to our favorite gluten free grain quinoa, this Mexican skillet dinner is rich in complete protein and iron. Vegan option in the recipe!

Hey friends! Another vegetarian meal prep meal coming at ya! Don’t worry,  I promise there are some delicious meat and fish recipes on the horizon, but for now, enjoy these veggie packed recipes. Because you know what? They make a great base for adding your favorite (go-to) protein too; like eggs, chicken, fish, etc. Just my little tip for ya!

Alright, before we dig into the recipe, I have to tell you how this dish came together. It began on a whim with a slew of leftover veggies and a bag of half used quinoa. These ingredients were just sitting there waiting to be used. At first I thought about making a taco filling. But then I figured, let’s just throw it all in a skillet and make one easy epic one pan dinner, mexican skillet dinner! So that’s what I did.

HOW TO MAKE A MEXICAN QUINOA SKILLET DINNER

It’s time to bust out those pantry staples and leftovers. Because that’s all you need today my friend.

• First, cook you quinoa or use pre cooked leftover quinoa.
• Sauteed your veggies – we’re using onion, garlic, bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, and herbs.
• Mix in those zesty mexican spices
• Top with a little cheese (or vegan sauce).
• Broil in oven safe skillet for extra crispy topping.
• Top with cilantro, optional sour cream, avocado, and salsa!
• Dig in with spoon or tortilla chips.

 

 

Bam, Mexican quinoa dinner is made IN ONE PAN! Ahh the magic of a skillet!

Is this Mexican quinoa skillet good for you?

Glad you asked, because yes, yes it is!

Quinoa alone has lots of health benefits and there are plenty of reasons to add it to your diet. Quinoa offers all of the following benefits:

• High in protein, fiber, and iron
• The only whole grain that is a complete protein in and of itself
• Low glycemic index
• Gluten free
• High in a variety of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and all the B vitamins
• Contains all nine essential amino acids

In addition, this one pan Mexican quinoa skillet dinner is packed with fresh veggies. The bell peppers are high in vitamin C. This important element will help your body absorb all the iron found in quinoa.

Onion and garlic, while both strong and smelly, bring along a host of goodness for your cholesterol and blood pressure. Additionally, garlic helps to fight infections, viral and bacterial.

This dish is a whole grain meal. As is, it is vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan by following the alternative cheese recipe (see below).

Can you freeze Mexican quinoa?

This healthy skillet recipe requires quinoa that is already cooked. You will need to prepare it before cooking the rest of the recipe. See recipe card for those tips!

Absolutely! After making this recipe, you can refrigerate it for up to four days or freeze for several months.

For meal prep, divide this dish into individual portions for quick lunches. Quinoa tastes just a good cold as it does warm.

You can freeze plain cooked quinoa to use in any dish like this Mexican skillet dinner as well as toppings for salads, in soups and stews and as a quick side dish.

After cooking the quinoa, allow it to cool completely then pack it in an airtight container. Quinoa lasts for one week in the refrigerator but for eight to twelve months in the freezer.

How do I make it vegan friendly? What is vegan cheese sauce made of?

To make this Mexican quinoa skillet dinner vegan friendly, swap out the cheese for our easy to make vegan sauce. You could buy vegan cheese at the store, but I often find that it is made of ingredients such as soy protein or solidified vegetable oil. Or it’s $15 for a cashew based cheese sauce. Sometimes it’s worth it, sometimes it’s not. Am I right? Haha.

My recipe uses a flavored hummus and olive oil – it’s simple yet delicious. You can find that recipe here in this casserole dish. . You simply heat it together until it is the consistency to pour onto the skillet dinner.

Or feel free to use my vegan con queso made with just vegetables, no nuts needed

Other quinoa recipes to try:

• Maple Sesame Quinoa Bars {Vegan}
• Toasted Pine Nut and Leek Quinoa Salad

Print

Bust out the leftovers and your favorite skillet, because dinner will be ready in a jiffy. ONE PAN MEAL for the win!

Favorite skillet dinner? BTW, this blue skillet (above) has become one of my favorite pans. It’s cast iron but still light. And it’s about 25 years old! Haha. Love it! I’m sure you have a favorite pan you use regularly too. Do share! What brand is it?

Cheers,

LC