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.
Mackie 07.10.2012
Silly question but can anyone clarify wether you use two eggs AND two egg whites, or just two eggs? Thanks!
Iowa Girl Eats 07.16.2012
It’s two whole eggs AND two whole egg whites – so you’ll need 4 eggs total, and will discard 2 egg yolks. :)
Amyg 08.04.2012
Can you use egg beaters or egg substitute?
Iowa Girl Eats 08.05.2012
I’m sure you could!
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Tina 06.26.2012
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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Jessica 06.20.2012
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! :)
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Linda 06.18.2012
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.
Michael 06.17.2012
Kristin,
Thanks for the awesome idea. You are smoking hot by the way!
Kathyb 06.16.2012
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!
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Elizabeth 06.10.2012
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 :o)
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Caly 06.06.2012
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!
Leanne 06.05.2012
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! :D
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Elizabeth 06.04.2012
That looks delicious!!! I can’t wait to try it. On the weekend I think :) Thank you!
Amanda 06.02.2012
Do you think these would freeze well?
Paula 08.05.2012
I just made the quinoa cups. Has anyone put them in the freezer?