I had this whole spiel ready about how real men do, in fact, eat quiche, as demonstrated by Ben who housed nearly a dozen Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups that resemble wee baby quiche for dinner, but then I remembered that quiche have crust and Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups do not, so in reality they’re more like mini frittatas and well, all was tragically lost.
Ok, let me explain. First of all, Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups might be my new favorite thing on the planet. I may or may not have squealed with delight when they came out of the oven. THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!! 
They’re basically mini frittatas containing eggs, egg whites, cooked quinoa, shredded zucchini, cheddar cheese, and diced ham, but I can’t name ‘em Mini Ham & Cheese Frittatas because Ben won’t knowingly eat frittatas. Or quiche, for that matter. Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups, though? Can’t get enough. 
These perfectly poppable bites are packed with protein at 3 grams per mini cup, thanks to the quinoa and lean ham. They’re low in calories too, at less than 50 calories a piece.
Plus, they’re so versatile. Like I said, my Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups contain fresh zucchini, ham and sharp cheddar cheese, because that’s what I had in the fridge, but I can think of a million different combos that would be equally as delish. Broccoli cheddar. Sundried tomato & pesto. Mushroom & swiss. The possibilities are endless!
Plus they take no time at all to make. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Mix.
Add the cooked quinoa, and mix again.
Liberally spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, fill the cups up with the mixture, and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cups are golden brown around the outside.
Almost too cute to eat! Almost.
Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups
Makes 28 mini cups
Adapted from So Very Blessed
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced ham
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 green onions, sliced
salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Liberally spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and spoon mixture to the top of each cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cups are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the mini muffin tin.
You could eat mini quinoa cups for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner – hot or cold. They’d even be great for a potluck, shower, or party. Be warned though, once you pop, it’s hard to stop!
Time for TV night done right!!!!! TGIAF!
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Do you think these would freeze well?
I just made the quinoa cups. Has anyone put them in the freezer?
That looks delicious!!! I can’t wait to try it. On the weekend I think
Thank you!
[...] Mini Ham Cheese Quinoa Cups by Iowa Girl Eats. Like little frittatas with cooked quinoa, zucchini, cheddar and ham, or whatever fillings you happen to have on hand. Naturally gluten free, quick, easy, versatile, protein rich and almost too cute to eat. [...]
Mmmmm these are delicious! I made a batch this morning almost exactly like yours, with just a couple of minor changes – I added some regular onion (just because I love onion) and I used feta cheese instead of Parmesan (again, I can’t get enough feta!). It took longer to prepare than I thought it would, but was definitely worth it. It was my first time cooking with quinoa and it won’t be the last. Thanks for the recipe!
So I had never cooked with quinoa and I went out and bought some to make these! What a fantastic, easy, classy idea. So this negates the health factor of these a little bit, but I made mine by putting half a wonton wrapper in each of the mini muffin cups and it was soooo good!
[...] Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups I had this whole spiel ready about how real men do, in fact, eat quiche, as demonstrated by Ben who housed nearly a dozen Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups that resemble wee baby quiche for dinner, but then I remembered that quiche have crust and Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups do not, so in reality they’re more like mini frittatas and well, all was tragically lost. Ok, let me explain. First of all, Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups might be my new favorite thing on the planet. I may or may not have squealed with delight when they came out of the oven. THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!! VIDEO: How to Make Roses Out of Duct Tape 12 Dec Hi, my name is Himani and I’m a sugar addict. But the only thing that holds me back from devouring a sinful concoction is if it looks super cute. You know… because cute desserts deserve to live longer than the ugly ones (I’m going to some sort of sugar-y hell for that one). Check out some of the cute desserts that you will think twice before you put them in your belly: [...]
I made these on Friday and they are delicious. Everyone in my family loved them. I will make them again for sure, probably often. I love fool proof recipes. I forgot to buy zuccini so I used mushrooms instead, and I used 3 eggs, more quinoa… you get the picture. They turned out fabulous anyway!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe
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I made this using your recipe and absolutely love them. I made a 2nd batch and froze them. Before work I make a salad and add one (or two) to my lunch bag. Delish!
Kristin,
Thanks for the awesome idea. You are smoking hot by the way!
I made these and they are yummy! I can’t wait to make them again. I cooked them in my toaster oven (too hot in CA last weekend) so I had to add an additional 15 minutes to the cooking time.
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These are SO good!! I made them last night for dinner and loved them so much, I had to blog about them.
I left out the green onion and forgot to get fresh parsley, so I subbed with a little dried parsley and they were still amazing. Thanks for the great recipe! 
[...] http://iowagirleats.com/2012/02/16/mini-ham-cheese-quinoa-cups/ View more posts in: [...]
I made these last week with the intention of having them in the fridge for a quick go to breakfast. Well..they didn’t last through the day and my boyfriend was the biggest fan. I’d never used quinoa before. Today I made two batches. I added chopped mushrooms, onions, spinach and grated yellow squash because that was what I had. Sad to say, we are almost through two batches in one day…so much for breakfast for the week :-/. These are awesome and the possibilities are endless. Thank you
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Silly question but can anyone clarify wether you use two eggs AND two egg whites, or just two eggs? Thanks!
It’s two whole eggs AND two whole egg whites – so you’ll need 4 eggs total, and will discard 2 egg yolks.
Can you use egg beaters or egg substitute?
I’m sure you could!
YUM, making them tonight for this weeks breakfasts. Do you think if I made a double batch that I could freeze some? I’m not too familiar with quinoa and how well it freezes.
These should freeze just fine! Will just need to pop the cups in the microwave for a few minutes on defrost, then a minute on high heat to warm!
I found your recipe last night and this morning I got up and still had it on the brain, so of course, I HAD to make it! But, alas, I had none of the things that you did save eggs, parsley and quinoa. So I concocted a mixture of broccoli, basil, and garlic and herb cheddar cheese from my fridge. They just came out of the oven and I’m really not sure I can wait 5 minutes to eat them. Thanks for the recipe; this will be a definite go to!
[...] Recipe website [...]
Made these last night! So yummy!!! It was also my first experience with quinoa and it is delicious in these little things! My daughter and I each had 2 of them for breakfast this morning. Thanks for this!
We have a 7 year old picky vegetarian – in a family of carnivores – so I’m always on the lookout for protein-rich kid-friendly foods. Omitted the ham, onions, and parsley – and they were a hit. She actually ate her entire dinner. Triumph! Thank you!
These look so good! I’m totally thinking about making them this weekend for my lunches during the week. If they last that long!
Can you use large/regular sized muffin tins?
I actually just tried it – filled them half way – they were delicious but I had to cook twice as long and I think the minis would work better – but not bad in a pinch – going to buy those mini pans now for sure!
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I made these with pastrami and mild cheddar, because I had those ingredients in the fridge. They were delicious! I really think they need the sharp cheddar she used, or a stronger Swiss would be nice with corned beef or pastrami. I may even try to substitute Sauer kraut instead of zucchini to make Quinoa Reuben Cups. I highly recommend this versatile recipe.
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I just made these, I had everything in the fridge from various leftovers except the ham. Popped two hot ones in my mouth as the came out of the oven. So delicious!
I made a batch of these over the weekend and froze them for my teen son to heat up in the mornings for his breakfast. They heat up nicely and quickly in the microwave. He also loves the recipe for frozen breakfast burritos. Thanks so much for quick, healthy breakfast options a teenager will eat!!!
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Totally love these! They are now a regular in my house. They are also delicious in a corn tortilla for breakfast! YUM! So glad you shared these. Today is a day of getting ready for back to school, so I’m making more to put in the freezer. Love that they are so easy to make, delicious, freeze well, and are great on-the-go healthy food.
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I subbed broccoli for the ham & my 9 month cannot get enough of these! Had these for lunch and dinner today & was doing the happy dance in her high chair while eating them!
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I made this with spinach instead of zucchini. They were delicious! Thank you, Kristin!
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These are amazing both cold and hot!! Replaced zucchini with some really small asparagus and left out onions. Yummy. Love by all!!
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This recipe is the reason that I will now keep quinoa as a staple in my house. Made them up quickly on a Sunday night for breakfast during the week. I find the texture to be something between that of a frittata (eggy) and a muffin (crumbly-grainy from the quinoa).
BTW, auto-correct suggested “Atari” as an replacement for “frittata”. Nice.
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