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 and Cheese Quinoa Cups that resemble wee baby quiche for dinner last night, but then I remembered quiche has a crust and Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups do not, so in reality they’re more like mini frittatas and well, all was tragically lost.
These 2-bite delights combine whole eggs, egg whites, cooked quinoa, shredded zucchini, cheddar cheese, and diced ham in a perfectly poppable package that contains 3 grams of protein per mini cup, thanks to quinoa and lean ham in the mix. They’re low in calories too, at less than 50 calories a piece.
Did I mention they’re SO DANG CUTE?!
Watch How to Make Them!
Plus, they’re versatile. Like I said, my Mini Ham and 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 zillion different combos that would be equally as delish:
- Broccoli Cheddar
- Sun Dried Tomato & Pesto
- Mushroom & Swiss
Plus they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Is there anything Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups can’t do?
This easy, gluten-free recipe takes no time at all. Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl.
Mix.
Then add cooked quinoa and mix again.
Liberally spray a mini muffin tin or mini muffin baking pan with nonstick spray, fill the cups up with the mixture, then bake for 20 minutes or until the cups are golden brown around the outside.
Pop them out once cool enough to handle then try not to squeal. These delicious mini quinoa cups are almost too cute to eat.
Almost!
Like I said, you could eat mini quinoa cups for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner – hot or cold. They’re even freezer-friendly. Enjoy, enjoy!
More Mini Quinoa Cups You’ll Love
- Mini Pizza Quinoa Bites
- Mini Mushroom & Swiss Quinoa Cups
- Mini BLT Quinoa Cups
- Mini Egg Bites
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Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups
Description
Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups are the perfect, poppable, gluten-free breakfast or snack recipe. Easy, delicious and loved by kids and adults alike!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup diced ham
- 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons shredded or grated parmesan cheese
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 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.
- To freeze: Place baked cups on a baking sheet then freeze until solid and transfer to a freezer bag. Microwave for 20-40 seconds depending on how many you're reheating.
- For regular-sized muffin tins: Bake for 25-30 minutes (Note: I have not tested full-sized muffins myself, although several readers have left comments saying this works!)
Notes
Adapted from So Very Blessed
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Mary 08.06.2016
I just made these as a trial for when I’m hosting book club next week. Very tasty!
Patsy 08.04.2016
Good! Couldn’t wait for them to cool much, very good warm. My mini muffin pan has 24 cups, the mixture filled it nicely. One question: what can I use the 2 egg yolks for?
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Linda 07.02.2016
Just made these. They are awesome. My family loved them too including my son who never eats vegetables. Although I only mentioned egg, cheese and ham as ingredients and left out quinoa and zucchini. Score a big win for mom. Thought I’d have to freeze some but not the case!!! Thanks for sharing recipe!
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Bree 05.30.2016
I love these! I’ve adopted them in my meal prep on the weekends. They make awesome easy to-go breakfasts for the hubby and I. We’re vegetarian so I switch up the ingredients every week. I’ve done pesto and tomato, spinach and tomato, kale and cauliflower…I’ve also swapped the zucchini for carrot. I add lots of herbs, usually swap the cheese for hippy dust and add cayenne (metabolism boost!) But these suckers are so versatile! I love love love this recipe! Thank you for sharing! :)
Jordan A 05.29.2016
My god those are delicious! I used broccoli and dried onion flakes instead of zuchini and green onions and they are soo good!
Unlike you, I am not a breakfast person at all, i’m never hungry when i get up so i just skip it, but these are so good and easy!
Thank you!
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