Turkey Black Bean Quinoa Bake

Easy cheesy quinoa bake with black beans, corn, garlic, shredded cooked turkey, and lots of cheddar cheese!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 24, 2022
Elise Bauer
Turkey Black Bean Quinoa Bake
Elise Bauer

With great power comes great responsibility. At least that's what I tell myself about turkey leftovers.

Whoever cooks the turkey gets to keep the leftovers, right? Whoever has the extra turkey meat gets to decide what to do with it (at least that's how it works around here). High expectations, people. That's where the responsibility part of the power comes in. Whatever you do with the leftovers, it better be good.

Turkey Black Bean Quinoa Bake
Elise Bauer

This turkey black bean quinoa bake? It's good, great actually. A "winnah", according to my family. Of course they didn't get to eat much of it when I was recipe testing it last week, given that I ate half of it myself. Just didn't want to part with it.

It's sort of an inside-out version of our Cheesy Quinoa Black Bean Stuffed Peppers, with leftover turkey, and not stuffed. So good!

Whatever you do, enjoy those leftovers if you have them. This is also a great recipe for leftover homemade beans. Here are some other great recipes for leftover turkey if you need more inspiration.

How to Freeze This Turkey BlackBean Quinoa Bake

To freeze this casserole whole or to freeze its leftovers, follow the instructions in the link below.

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Turkey Black Bean Quinoa Bake

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

To save time, prep the ingredients and start on the onions and peppers while the quinoa is cooking.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa

  • 2 cups water

  • Salt

  • 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded or chopped

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 cups onion, chopped

  • 2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder (chipotle chili powder if available), less or more to taste

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

  • 3 cups cheddar cheese grated, divided 2 cups and 1 cup

Method

  1. Cook the quinoa:

    Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Typically package directions ask you to put 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt into a pot, bringing it to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

  2. Cook peppers and onions:

    Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and the bell peppers and cook until softened and browned at the edges, about 10 minutes.

    turkey-black-bean-quinoa-bake-method-1
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add garlic, spices, corn:

    Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and corn, and cook a minute more. Remove from heat.

    turkey-black-bean-quinoa-bake-method-3
    Elise Bauer
  4. Place the cooked quinoa, black beans, onion mixture, cilantro, 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese, and cooked turkey in a large bowl:

    Toss to combine.

    turkey-black-bean-quinoa-bake-method-4
    Elise Bauer
  5. Top with cheese and bake:

    Place in a casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and bake at 350°F uncovered for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

    turkey-black-bean-quinoa-bake-method-5
    Elise Bauer
    turkey-black-bean-quinoa-bake-method-6
    Elise Bauer
Turkey Black Bean Quinoa Bake
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
637 Calories
31g Fat
49g Carbs
43g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 637
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 831mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 43g
Vitamin C 36mg 180%
Calcium 483mg 37%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 862mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.