FF: Quinoa Surprise

This week's recipe is a Ben invention and family favorite - Quinoa Surprise! The "surprise" is that it never looks 100% the same. A couple of weeks ago, we were out of quinoa and the boys thought it was hysterical that we were just eating "Surprise!" for dinner.

This one is super easy. 30 minutes tops.

First, grab the cutest sous-chefs you can find. We're in jammies because our evenings are on a tight itinerary with a seven o'clock bedtime. Baths and jammies come before dinner in these parts!

The ingredients are simple. Mix together: 

1 lb cooked beef
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 drained can of black beans
1/2 bag of frozen corn
Taco Seasoning (we make our own with this recipe)

If I am feeling really ambitious, I'll cut up onion and peppers and throw them in, too.

Now. The most important part of Quinoa Surprise is the topping.

We add hand-shredded sharp cheddar, cilantro, and chipotle ranch (just mix a few good swigs of chipotle sauce with your favorite ranch dressing). Some of us eat our taco pile with corn chips, while others roll it up in a burrito.

It doesn't look like much...but man do we LOVE it! Each kid, including sister, eats 2-3 helpings. There are never any leftovers!

Stroke Ben's ego if you try it and love it as much as we do.

We like to serve it with a side of cornbread and refried beans.