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.
Andrea Gurine 12.30.2012
YUM! These were super simple to make and super tasty! I made them in regular size muffin tins and just cooked them a bit longer. They turned out great. I will be freezing the leftovers for quick grab n go breakfast or snacks. Thanks for sharing a recipe with quinoa…I like quinoa, but am never sure what to do with it!
christopher 12.13.2012
These were amazing– the perfect gateway drug to get people to try quinoa.
Thanks for the recipe Kristin!
(and now I own a mini muffin pan, yay!)
Jill 12.07.2012
I made these up-sized to normal muffin tins and they are so delicious!!
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Marcy 11.15.2012
Hi Iowa girl – these look amazing and I cant wait to make them but I have a question about the recipe. In your list of ingredients you say 2 eggs and then 2 egg whites – does this mean two whole eggs (whites and yolks) and then an additional 2 egg whites?
Iowa Girl Eats 11.15.2012
Exactly!
Marcy 11.15.2012
THANKS SO MUCH! I cant wait to make these!
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Morgan 11.04.2012
I Was looking for a zuchinni recipe because I have a bunch of them from the garden. Just made these and they were DELICIOUS!! Right as I was taking them out of the oven my husband devoured half of them and that is saying something for what a picky eater he is! Thank you for the recipe! :)
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Trudi 10.09.2012
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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Karma 10.06.2012
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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Mayela 09.23.2012
I made this with spinach instead of zucchini. They were delicious! Thank you, Kristin!
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