Quinoa Mac & Cheese

My little guy loves mac & cheese...I mean, really loves it. I know it's the one thing that he will always eat without fighting me. He's starting to be picky and also with sitting at the table to eat, so needless to say, our dinners have not been very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to this phase being over.

I'm always trying to find new ways to incorporate protein into his food, because he doesn't like meat. He loved this and it was great to send in for lunch to daycare. Madeline was just so-so on it, but I made it her eat it anyway. :) I remember my mom making me eat baby brussel sprouts and baked lima beans as a kid...I now like brussel sprouts, but not the limas. This recipe is also easy to make and I always have the ingredients on hand, so I know I'll be making it again. The original recipe called for a breadcrumb topping, but I'm not a fan of crust on my mac & cheese, so I left it off.

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 tsp minced garlic

2 large eggs

1 cup skim milk

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

salt 

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. I used vegetable broth to cook the quinoa. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

While the quinoa is cooking, whisk together the eggs, minced garlic and milk in a large bowl. Add in the cooked quinoa and cheese. Mix well until some of the cheese melts. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with leftover grated cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Let set 5 minutes before serving. 

Source: Smithalicious