I’ve been attempting to eat our way through everything in our freezer recently so that I don’t have to move any of it over to the new house and it hasn’t exactly made for the healthiest meals. One night this week, we ate chicken nuggets, tater tots, and mozzarella bites for dinner. No joke.

Ham & Cheese Quinoa Bites : So Very Blessed

So, it was time for a healthier meal. I had been itching for quinoa, so, of course, I decided to work on a new quinoa bite!

I actually didn’t have to do too much working, since I have a running list of flavors I want to make into quinoa bites, which cam very much in handy! Most of my brain power has been going into packing, appliance shopping, and other moving details, so meal planning has been a much lower priority than normal, so it sure was nice to have an almost-recipe already waiting for me.

I’m so glad I made this one! Seriously, this is a good one. I made a second batch immediately after trying my first bite of these. The juicy bits of ham and creamy melted cheese take the flavors of a pumped up grilled ham and cheese sandwich, in a handy-dandy, healthier bite-size! I can especially use more of the “healthier” part at this time of year. I started the day off with eggnog coffee cake and have peanut butter/fudge/brownie ice cream in our fridge and lemon cupcakes on my countertop. I can at least try to have healthier meals (*cough* to make more room for the desserts…). Happy Monday!

Quinoa Bites FAQs

Still have more questions? Check out the Quinoa Bites FAQs page for more answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Ham & Cheese Quinoa Bites

Yield: ~ 3 dozen bites

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa (I cook mine in chicken broth)
2 eggs
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup finely diced ham
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup panko
1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together all ingredients.
Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each) and press down gently to compact.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 485mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 17g

This information is just an estimate and may not be 100% accurate. Always double-check the nutritional information using your specific products and ingredients.

Michelle

Friday 30th of August 2013

Hi Becky, Thanks for that. They were very popular!

Becky

Hi Michelle! I've never frozen them myself, but I've heard from people that have successfully frozen them both cooked and uncooked. We never have enough left to freeze! In the fridge, they'll keep up to a week. And thank you! I hope you like them as much as we do!

Hi, I was just wondering if these will freeze? And if not, how long will they keep? They look great!

Monday 3rd of June 2013

Hi Katie! The texture won't be the same in a regular muffin tin, but you can absolutely make them that way - just up the baking time to about 30 minutes! I've also heard of people spooning the mixture and gently flattening them onto a cookie sheet and baking them that way. If you really wanted to, you could probably even make them in pancake-form by heating a griddle or skillet and cooking the mixture in patties. Haven't heard of that method tried yet, but I think it would work!

Katie

These look great and I can't wait to try them! I don't own a mini-muffin tin, do you think they'd hold up in a regular muffin pan? Or may rolled into balls? Any suggestions would be great, thanks!