Breakfast Fruit & Quinoa Bake

I'm all about warm, hearty breakfast options and anything I can make on the weekend and then reheat all week at work is a huge win for me. This is a pretty versatile option if you mess around with the fruits each time. I opted to try it with pear and blueberries but I think next time we'll try apple and cranberries for more of a fall feel. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

2 eggs

2 c. skim milk

1/4 c. maple syrup

1 1/2 c. frozen berries

1 apple or pear, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan, and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together quinoa, cinnamon, and allspice to coat quinoa with spices. Pour quinoa over bottom of the pan.

3. In the same bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in the milk and maple syrup, and mix to combine.

4. Sprinkle the berries, apple or pear, and nuts (optional) evenly on top of the quinoa.

5. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the top of the fruit and quinoa. Lightly stir to partially submerge fruit. (Milk mixture will cook quinoa to create a very soft texture on the inside while creating a lightly crunchy crust on the outside.)

6. Bake for 1 hour, or until the casserole is mostly set with only a small amount of liquid left. Serve warm, and refrigerate leftovers. It makes roughly 6 servings.