Epic Mac and Cheese (without the mac)

So making a cheese-based baked dish starting brewing in my brain two weeks ago when I had made spaghetti squash.  I had found a recipe for jalapeno cream spaghetti squash (which I still plan on trying), then I began to research some more and found a whole series of dishes made with quinoa.  After reading Around the Table, Monica Nelson Fitness, and Food for the Fresh I made my own recipe up and tried it tonight.  The result was epic and came in just under 500 calories a serving...making it a dinner that has awesome taste but is easy on the waist.

Fresh out of the oven

Plated

Ingredients:
1 1/2c Quinoa uncooked
1/2 lb uncooked bacon (I used black forest)
1c almond milk
2 white onions
3 ounces block sharp white cheddar shredded
5 ounces block smoked gouda shredded
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown bacon in cubes until it reaches preferred level of crispiness (I like very crispy).  Remove bacon, leave grease and caramelize onions in the grease. In a separate sauce pan, cook quinoa according to recipe on box.  Mix quinoa, cheese, bacon, onions, almond milk, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.  Pour into well-greased 9x13 baking pan, top with panko bread crumbs and additional shredded cheese if desired.
Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Calorie Content: 497 per serving (6 per pan)