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.
Weekend Update + Noodles & Company Giveaway! | Iowa Girl Eats 03.11.2012
[…] was whipping up a new flavor combo of mini quinoa cups this weekend (recipe coming soon!) when I cracked open an egg and two yolks popped out. Twins, […]
Ellen J Stinson 03.10.2012
I enjoyed your blog very much. I made these for dinner tonight and they will most likely be a regular addition to the weekly menus as they were such a hit. They are very cute :-D Tasty. A very nice and versatile side.
Erica 03.08.2012
OK, one more dumb question…and thanks for your quick response to my last question. I guess I should’ve saved them up for one post, huh?
It says to use mini muffin pans, which I don’t have. If I use standard muffin pans, do I need to bake them for longer?…I would assume another 5 minutes or so. And I’m guessing it would only make about a dozen standard size rather than 28 minis. ??
Iowa Girl Eats 03.12.2012
Probably another 5 minutes or so, until the tops are golden brown.
Hailey 03.07.2012
Do you think these would freeze well? Just wasn’t sure since they have cheese in them…but being able to make ahead and then freeze would be a GREAT time saver! :)
Iowa Girl Eats 03.12.2012
I haven’t tried freezing them personally, but I think someone else said they did and it worked fine!
Erica 03.06.2012
They look delicious…and adorable!
I’m just wondering what the reason is for 2 eggs, and then 2 more of just the egg whites. Is it about calories or something? Or more about taste or consistency? I’m not good at separating eggs….or maybe I’m just too lazy to do it. ;) Can I just use 3 whole eggs?
Iowa Girl Eats 03.07.2012
You could definitely try 3 eggs! The reason I used what I used is because egg whites are a great binder, and you don’t necessarily need 3 whole egg yolks, which are high in cholesterol.
Diane 12.29.2014
Don’t worry about the cholesterol in egg yolks – they are very healthy & cholesterol is not the villain it has been made out to be.
Jenny 02.26.2017
Did you try these with the 3 eggs Erica? I’d be interested in using 3 eggs instead of the egg whites as well. Thanks
ladysaotome 03.06.2012
I made these for the ladies at my Bible Study last week & they were such a hit! Everyone wanted the recipe & I directed them all to your blog. It’s the 3rd thing I’ve made from your blog in the past 2 weeks (those corndog muffins – oh, wow! so good!) & tonight I’m making the chicken, butternut squash, quinao stew!
Liz (Hand-Me-Downs and Flip Flops) 03.05.2012
Just took my “little guys” out of the oven. Perfection!
Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups « « TodaysMama TodaysMama 03.05.2012
[…] get the recipe for Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups from Iowa Girl Eats and make them this week. Image via Iowa Girl […]
Shannon 03.02.2012
I just made these for lunch (and will freeze for later as well). Wow-so good! Thanks for the recipe.
Freezer Cooking | Renee Whiting/Nana's Empty Nest 02.29.2012
[…] Mini ham & cheese quinoa cups  (2 dozen) […]
Lauren 02.28.2012
I made these cute quinoa cups for a potluck lunch at work and they were such a hit. Picky eaters loved that they were ham and cheese. And the foodies loved that they incorporated quinoa. They were very easy to transport (via subway) too! Thanks for the great recipe, Kristen!
Sarah HS 02.28.2012
I made these tonight for the fam. I made them in a regular sized muffin tin & baked them for about 25 minutes. My six-year-old is taking one in her lunch tomorrow. Success!
Tom 02.24.2012
Omigosh! I found this, and you, through someone else’s “Pin”. Just made them tonight and love them. Thanks.
Kat 02.24.2012
These look really tasty. I have a bit if a dumb question. One of your photos shows all of your ingredients before you mix them together. I see eggs, parsley, cheese, ham, zucchini, something white. It’s the white powder I can’t make out. It looks like salt but that would a a lot of salt so I’m sure that’s not what it is. Is it powdered egg whites?
Iowa Girl Eats 02.24.2012
Parmesan cheese. :)
Sarah 01.23.2014
Is the Parmesan powdered Parmesan?
Kristin 01.24.2014
I have used both – powdered and fresh grated!
Rock it. Work it. Love it. Fridays | Peak313 Fitness 02.23.2012
[…] Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups. I saw this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats and about fell out of my seat! This is a GREAT idea for something to make at […]
Stefanie 02.22.2012
I actually cooked these and used shrimp instead of ham and they were awesome!!
BM 02.21.2012
I just made this tonight and it was fabulous! I can’t wait to sub in other veggies as well. I will add it to pizza and omelets as my “recipes to use up produce”
Stephanie 02.21.2012
My family loved them! We are excited to try your soup next. We did soak the Quinoa before we cooked it, it helps aid in digestion and to absorb the nutrients. http://gnowfglins.com/2009/07/06/grain-cooking-chart/
Heidi 01.17.2014
glad to know you made this recipe after soaking! I soaked some quinoa for the first time and wanted to try it out on the kids and I was wondering if it would work in this recipe:)Thanks for posting results, going to make this right now!
Rachel 02.20.2012
Making them tonight! Our mixture didn’t look as liquidy as the picture, but I’m excited to see how they turn out. Can’t wait! We’ve been looking for more good stuff to make with quinoa. Your link the the quinoa mac & cheese was dynamite! (we’re eating the quinoa cups as a side to soup – rather than corn muffins)
kate 02.20.2012
i made these with chicken sausage instead of ham and they were so so so good. thanks for sharing!