Bake once, eat all week!
This Protein‑Packed Caprese Quinoa Bake layers pesto, mozzarella and garden tomatoes over protein‑rich quinoa, with a vegetarian or ground turkey option.
Need a dinner that doubles as tomorrow’s lunch?
Meet the Protein‑Packed Caprese Quinoa Bake with fresh summer tomatoes, melty mozzarella and herb‑forward pesto baked over fluffy quinoa. Make it meat‑free or fold in ground turkey or sausage for an extra protein boost.
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Ingredients (Makes 6 servings)
Base
- 1½ cups dry quinoa (3 cups cooked)
- 1 lb ground turkey or sausage, cooked (optional)
Caprese layer
- 1¼ cups tomato‑basil pasta sauce
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ⅔ cup pesto
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1–2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- Handful fresh basil leaves
- Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
Step‑by‑step prep
- Brown the meat (if using) and set aside.
- Cook quinoa per package ingredients, or microwave two 90‑second pouches for a shortcut.
- Mix. In a large bowl combine quinoa, meat, pasta sauce, milk, pesto, half the cheese and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Layer. Spread into a lightly oiled 13 × 9 in pan. Top with heirloom tomato slices, remaining cheese and basil.
- Bake. 350 °F for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the bake is heated through.
Nutrition snapshot (per serving)
| Version | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
| Vegetarian | ~370 kcal | ~14 g | ~22 g | ~23 g |
| With turkey | ~475 kcal | ~27 g | ~22 g | ~29 g |
Macros are estimates; actual values vary with ingredients and serving size.
More meal‑prep favorites
This recipe is adapted from the Caprese Quinoa Bake in the book Half Baked Harvest by Tieghan Gerard.
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About the author: Megan Ware, RDN, LD, is a registered dietitian nutritionist in Orlando, FL. She owns the private practice, Nutrition Awareness, where she teaches other entrepreneurs and high achievers how to maximize their productivity and performance with nutrition. She is the author of the book The Optimized Life: A Nutrition Guide for Entrepreneurs and co-host of the Nutrition Awareness Podcast.
