Quinoa cheese pot pie rather than a traditional mac and cheese sounds way too hipster for Yummy Lummy but what the hey. I do like quinoa and I do like cheese. I used rice flour so unlike mac and cheese, this is gluten-free for people with Cœliac disease.
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- 1/2 cup Quinoa (microwave)
- 2 tablespoons Butter (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons Rice flour
- 1 cup Milk (full cream or skim)
- 2 rashers Streaky bacon (cut into thin strips across the grain)
- 1/2 cup Frozen vegetables (I used peas and corn for an Australiana look)
- 1/2 teaspoon Chilli flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder (you could use freshly crushed garlic)
- 1 cup Coon cheese (grated)
- 2 teaspoons Sunflower seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg (ground)
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Cut the rashers of streaky bacon into thin strips cutting across the grain of the bacon. Put the bacon onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Put the bacon into a preheated oven at 200 °C (400 °F) for 15 minutes and remove when finished.
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Cook the microwave quinoa as per the packet instructions and put the cooked quinoa into a mixing bowl.
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Make a roux with the butter, rice flour and milk. Start by heating the butter in a saucepan until it foams and then add the flour and whisk until it is smooth and starts to change colour. Pour in the milk and whisk until it begins to thicken.
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Take the sauce off the heat and then add most of the grated Coon cheese leaving some to the end to top the pie.
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Stir in the cheese, nutmeg, chilli flakes, and garlic powder (or freshly crushed garlic).
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Add the sunflower seeds and the frozen vegetables to the quinoa and mix, then pour over the sauce and mix thoroughly.
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Pour this mixture into a Pyrex bowl or something similar. Top with the remaining cheese and a light sprinkling of nutmeg.
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Place the bowl into a hot oven 200 °C (400 °F) for 20 minutes when hopefully the cheese has melted and changed to a golden brown.
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Remove from the oven and allow the quinoa cheese pot pie to rest for 5 minutes.
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Garnish with a sprig of parsley or anything else you may have.
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Shoot a photograph and then eat from the bowl with a spoon or fork while sitting in front of the TV watching Netflix with your Ugg boots on.
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Wash the dishes and write a blog post and hope your social media buddies share the recipe to all and sundry.
This is a gluten-free variation on mac and cheese with the nuttiness of quinoa. It can be enjoyed as a dinner or lunch time meal. Another serving idea is to not include the vegetables in the pie but to serve them separately. I think having the bacon is integral to the dish and adds a depth of flavour. I got the idea for the basis of this dish from Erica von Trapp at Bubble Child.
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Frequently asked questions
So, what do you think of this quinoa cheese pot pie?
I thought it was pretty awesome. While I don’t have Cœliac disease, I like to explore food that other people can eat because of a medical condition.
Can I make this quinoa cheese pot pie vegetarian?
Sure, don’t add the bacon. You could add some mushroom, not as a bacon substitute but as another ingredient to give it some extra texture.
Would it help to add a crust or Panko to the top for crunch?
Well then depending on how you make the pastry top, it may not be gluten-free. If you don’t have Cœliac disease and you like pastry and bread, then a puff pie pastry or some panko breadcrumbs would add some crunchy texture.
Could I add this quinoa cheese to a burger?
Yep, I reckon it would be nice on a burger or on a hot dog.
Can I eat this quinoa cheese pot pie cold the next day?
I reckon it would be disgusting cold, but that’s just my opinion.
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