Clean Lunch for the Week: Tex-Mex Quinoa Chicken Casserole + Weekend Recap

I made this last week and ate it for lunch every day- it was so easy to cut a slice, pop it into my tupperware and take it to work. It was also freaking delicious and I jazzed it up a little each day with Greek Yogurt or salsa or beans or avocado. Even Harrison liked it!

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups quinoa (cooked) ($1.00)
• 1.5 lb cooked chicken breast, shredded ($2.50)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced ($.70)
• 1 bell pepper, diced ($.89)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes - I used Rotel medium - ($1.25)
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste ($.50)
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ($2.50)
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped chilantro (fresh)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Saute the onion, pepper, garlic, corn and sweet potato together in a large frying pan until the onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes).

Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix the sauteed vegetable mix, quinoa, chicken and spices together. Dump the mixture into a 9x11 pan Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over top. Heat in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

P.S. Anyone else have an amazingly spring-y weekend? I soaked up every second in the short-lived spring weather! 

To celebrate spring's arrival my friends and I went to happy hour, which turned into all-night-marathon-bar-crawl down U Street and apparently sunglasses inside

My friend Kris visited from Macon, GA (in case you didn't know, Macon is the 3rd biggest city in Georgia AND they're on the weather channel) and we went out and saw the sites. I only ever do the touristy thing when friends are in town so it was nice- plus I like to have a reminder of why this city is so awesome, despite the traffic, the red line and the winter.

Picstitch courtesy of Kris. I have on idea how to even start to do this on Insta.

I also scored big time at my favorite thrift store Martha's Outfitters (yep that's a New Balance Sweat Tech Running Tank, Express black cardi,   Land's End button down,  and Zara cardi. ALL FOR $9!) 

Annd working on an attitude re-adjustment re: this never-ending winter including the impending snow storm forecasted for Tuesday. So instead of locking myself in the house and crying until..July maybe?..I'm embracing the last few days (please let these be the last few) of winter. First step: making my favorite gluten-free crockpot chili from Jackie at Chronicles of a Dietician...it's helping my attitude a little?

What do you do to beat the winter blues? What can I do to make sure I'm like this for the rest of this never-ending winter??

VIA

Linking up today at Monday Morning Gossip, Meandering Mondays, Monday Blog Hop and Much Ado About Monday