This is great as a bowl, or my favorite, served as an Air Fryer Quesadilla.
A hearty slow cooker batch with quinoa, beans, corn, vegetables, and seasoned meat makes family dinner and leftovers easy.
A QUICK NOTE
Brown and drain the meat before it goes into the slow cooker. Wait until the final 10 minutes to add the lime juice and cheese so the quinoa has time to soften.
INGREDIENTS
2 lb ground beef or chicken
2½ cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
1½ cups uncooked quinoa
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) corn kernels, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) enchilada sauce
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder or chipotle powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp ground cumin
2–3 Tbsp low-sodium taco seasoning (I use Costco Taco Blend)
Juice of 2 large limes, plus more for serving
1½ cups shredded fiesta blend cheese, plus more for serving
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Chopped parsley, tomatoes, or green onion
Avocado
Sour cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Cook the ground meat in a skillet until fully cooked, then drain any excess fat.
2. Add the cooked meat, broth, quinoa, beans, corn, tomatoes with their juice, enchilada sauce, peppers, onion, garlic, chili or chipotle powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, and taco seasoning to the slow cooker. Stir well.
3. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours, or until the quinoa is tender.
4. During the final 10 minutes, stir in the lime juice and cheese. Smooth the mixture, replace the lid, and finish cooking.
5. Serve in bowls with extra lime juice, cheese, and your favorite toppings, or use the casserole as a filling for quesadillas.
