These delicious Cheesy Quinoa Bites are brought to you in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you for supporting the companies that encourage my creativity.
I know exactly what you are going to do with your leftover quinoa. Make these Cheesy Quinoa Bites of course!
Do you ever have times where you have leftover quinoa from dinner and don’t know how to repurpose it? This happens to me often. While sometimes I make my Cranberry Quinoa Salad, there are times where I want to make something that everyone will devour.
Yes, it’s true. Not everyone devours salad at my house – shocker! But quinoa is a very versatile ingredient that is also nutritious. It’s naturally gluten-free and easy to digest for half of my house.
This recipe will transform you into a quinoa ninja because it comes together with super speed and the oven does the rest. For our picky eaters, it doesn’t taste or feel like they are eating quinoa, just bites of cheesy delicious yumminess. You have to watch this video where I show you how easy they are to make and fun to eat.
With the success of these tiny bites at home for dinner served with a little marinara or tomato soup, I was encouraged to send them to school in my kids’ lunchbox. Want to up the special factor? Send them a printable note with their lunch that says “baked with love” to make them feel special when they open up their lunch.
To their surprise, it’s not a brownie or cookie but once they try them and taste them, the savory baked treat will be welcomed. Hey, sometimes it’s good to think outside the peanut butter sandwich, right?
What’s awesome is that these Cheesy Quinoa Bites can be customized to whatever you have on hand in the fridge. I am sharing the basic cheesy recipe but add 1 cup of veggies, ham, pepperoni… you get it.
The recipe is also simple enough that if you have nothing to pack for lunch, you can whip it up in the morning while the coffee is brewing. Cook quinoa in the morning? Nope. That’s because you can freeze it too! Boom. That’s two tips in one 😉
Some days, I like to send a cup of my Veggie Tomato Soup inside a thermos and use these as cheesy dippers.
And for grownups, you can chop them up on top of a salad and turn them into cheesy croutons. There is no limit on how you can use these, and they are a total crowd pleaser.
What add-ons would you add into your quinoa bites?
Cheesy Quinoa Bits
- Yield: 12-15 bites
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa
- 1 cup grated Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella Cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, whisked
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and grease or spray a mini muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, grated cheese, and grated parmesan cheese. Add seasonings and combine. Add the whisked egg and using a fork, mix well until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Transfer quinoa mixture into the muffin tin pan and bake for 15-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow bites to cool down before removing and serving with marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
Notes: the recipe will yield 12 bigger bites or 18 smaller bites in height.
Leave a Reply 74 comments
I’m like you in always trying to get more greens in for my daughter. I’d like to add in broccoli chopped up really small. For us big kids, I think it’d be nice to add a grilled shrimp on top to make for a fun appetizer. As always, thanks for amazing recipes!
These look great! I would add bacon!
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Love that idea. Everything is better with bacon!!!
I would add 1-2 tablespoons ancient seeds or chopped almonds, to add a little crunch and a bit more protein.
Sounds delish. Enjoy!
These look great and I definitely plan to make them. It would be great if you could also post the nutritional data on these recipes for those of us who are monitoring our nutritional and calorie intake.
Humm ,maybe a couple different cheeses and spinach
I would add some carrots
I would add a diced jalapeño to the mix and serve with salsa.
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These look yummy, but we don’t eat cheese. I would try subbing mashed sweet potato instead.
I would love to try this recipe with a ranch seasoning in place of the itialin seasonings and use a ranch dip also! They sound super tasty.
How about some fresh or frozen spinach, and maybe a little Italian sausage (pre-cooked)?
I’d add some bacon!!! Yum!!
I would add shredded zucchini to it especially at this time of the year.
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I think chopped broccoli would be fantastic 🙂
I’ve never eaten quinoa, but I recently bought some and am inspired by this post…. I like cheese 🙂 I want to try adding ham or bacon… yum!
Ahhh I love this!! Can’t wait to try these! I think I would add broccoli in some and maybe bell peppers and onions?… I’ve decided that everything should be in mini muffin form because they’re so dang cute and easy to eat. Plus the kids love that it fits in their palm! 🙂 Thank you for another super fun recipe!!
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I would try chickpeas for added protein.
They sound yummy as they are, but ham, spinach, bacon would be good in them too!
I would dice up some pepperoni and mix it in. Looks delicious.
Can’t wait to try these! My kids like your tuna-quinoa casserole recipe from your book a lot, so I would think adding any veggies, like broccoli, corn or peas could bump up the nutrition. And a sprinkle of cumin like in the casserole. I really like the suggestion of bacon up above too. What a great idea!
I would make “BLTs” and add some snipped sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), spinach, and bacon – my daughter and I love tomatoes! My son would prefer broccoli and ham.
We love quinoa bites! I made some with a similar recipe this weekend and added chopped spinach, plus an extra egg white. My family loves eating them with sriracha sauce! Thank you for sharing another wonderful recipe, with protein-filled quinoa… the best! Thank you.
I would add finely chopped spinach! Would add a nice pop of color 🙂
My kiddos like ham, bacon, & sausage, so I would try each!
These look tasty! I would add some chopped baby spinach.
Seems simple and easy to make and something my son would love! I would add broccoli or perhaps pepperoni or ham.
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I was thinking of adding pepperoni – but I like the other suggestions of broccoli and bacon, too!
How do you recommend sending them to school? Since you don’t have them photographed with a Thermos – do you just send them cold?
I guess your video addresses sending them to school… But it says room temperature. What about cold? From the fridge to the lunchbox with an ice pack?
Yes, from fridge to lunchbox with an ice pack or warmed inside a thermos.
I send them as is, inside a lunchbox. My kids don’t mind them at room temperature. You could warm them and place them in a thermos too.
I would add some colorful peppers into those little bites.
I would add curry powder or dried rosemary. I love when there is a lot of flavor and as long as it’s not too spicy my kids usually are on board! These sound awesome and I plan to make them soon.
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These sound yummy so definitely will try them out. I would try Colby Jack cheese and bacon with little taco seasoning for Tex-Mex twist.
I love your reciles and tips! I would add some diced pepperoni.
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I’d maybe try adding chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. These look like a great snack to have on hand.
I would add chopped ham or bacon.
Thanks for the quinoa recipe – can’t wait to try it! I would add grated carrots or minced onions.
I would add pepperoni or sausage, and I like the broccoli idea! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I am thinking about trying shredded zucchini in these! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
These look so yummy! I think you could add whatever you have in the fridge or pantry! Broccoli, spinach, nuts, bacon! They look versatile! Can’t wait to try them!
I love that this recipe can be modified right in the bowl to accommodate all three of my kids tastes. Just cheese for one – put in the pan, add in some diced ham in the remaining mix – put in the pan, and finally add in broccoli and grated carrots to go with the ham for my third child who loves it all!
Some leftover chicken or sausage would be delicious.
Look yummy! I think I’d like dried tomorrows but I know my sons would like Greek style w/ olives & feta.
Look yummy! I think I’d like dried tomatoes 🙂 but I know my sons would like Greek style w/ olives & feta.
I’d add some finenlt chopped carrots or possibly some collagen to up the protein. They look delish!
They are perfect just as presented here. I would add nothing. 🙂
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Broccoli would be a nice addition. I love the idea of using them as croutons and with tomato soup. Thanks for the recipe!
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These look delicious! I think broccoli and chicken would be a good addition.
My kids would love pepperoni and black olives cut up real small in them.
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These look super tasty! I’d add in a little bit of hamburger or turkey burger, chopped super fine, to sneak in a bit of iron for my toddler. Thanks!
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Definitely the secret ingredient… Love!!
These cheesy quinoa bites seem perfect as is….but if I were to add anything, it would have to be BROCCOLI!!
Bacon sounds really good. Since my kids are grown, I would make some for myself and add some jalapeño peppers
These sound good except I don’t like cheese. Would it be easy for me to just leave the cheese out? My first thought was to add pepperoni and onions and bell peppers to make them pizza quinoa bites, but if I remember, I think you already have another recipe of just that. So I would add some broccoli, bell peppers, and maybe some pastured bacon. That would be for all my family! Lucky we all like veggies!
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If you leave the cheese out, add an additional egg since the cheese helps bind everything together. Enjoy!
Can’t wait to try these! I would try adding bacon and maybe some thawed frozen spinach, but just a little to not overpower the flavor! Thank you!
I find these bites-type of foods often lack enough flavor to make my kids want them more than once (with the exception of cheesy turkey meatloaf bites). I would add some uncured bacon bits and a few fresh spinach leaves that have been cut into thin ribbons with kitchen scissors. A sliced cherry tomato ring baked into the top would also be fun and add a little more vitamins and color.
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These are just the base to add an unlimited amount of toppings and add-ins. Enjoy!
I love the idea of pepperoni!
First, I love the note in the lunch box. I wrote notes most days to my kids on the napkin I enclosed in their lunches. It became the subject each lunch table my kids would sit at, and other kids loved it. Second, I would love to add defrosted chopped spinach, and here’s a twist for this amazing quinoa recipe., Siracha sauce mixed with a bit of mayo for a dipping sauce. Great use for that bit of made ahead (no such things as left overs)quinoa.
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That sounds amazing AnnEllen!
I think these are a great idea!! I would add bacon bits!!! Yum!
You can never go wrong with bacon!
I would add mushrooms or zucchini!
My kids would love to add chopped pepperoni and our homemade pizza seasoning!
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Green chilies or ham. Or both!
Love this, I can’t wait to try it on my picky eaters. I might add carrots or spinach.
The recipe looks good and basic. I would just add some sauteed onions and broccoli. Thanks!
Oh any kind of savory crumbled meat or olives!
I would add a few veggies to help boost the nutrients…maybe broccoli or even little bits of kale.
Can you freeze these? If i made a triple batch and cooked them and then froze them?
You sure can! just heat them up and serve. Enjoy!
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