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.
Corinne 02.27.2013
Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe! I added it to my list of favorite muffin tin meals (http://wondermomwannabe.com/muffin-tin-dinner-recipes/) with a link back here for the recipe and instructions.
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Val 02.22.2013
These were amazing!!!! I’m always looking for new and tasty ways to cook with quinoa and this was just simply delish!!!
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SO CUTE!!! I love it and can’t wait to try to do it! thanks for your sharing…
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Cheryl witkowski 01.21.2013
These look great. Wonderingmif eliminate meat should add somethng else? I think they would be fine meatless. Also if wanted to make a bunch and freeze to have another time, would they freeze and reheat well?
Iowa Girl Eats 01.23.2013
Hey Cheryl! Yep, these freeze and reheat in the microwave just fine!
Marie 01.14.2013
I made these for a party this weekend and they were fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
Florence 01.14.2013
Hi! Just to let you know that your receipe is one of my favorite now, I just love it! I don’t eat ham so I put a carrot instead and it’s perfect!
Thank you from France (Paris)
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Linda 01.07.2013
These are so good for snacking on the go! I did slightly change them up and used prosciutto instead of ham, low fat milk to replace one of the whole eggs, and chopped spinach, so yummy! Pretty versatile, I’m passing this one around!
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Laura Z. 01.03.2013
These are fantastic!! My 1 1/2 year old loved them. I did them with ham, cheese and broccoli. Thanks for posting all of these amazing recipes!!
DawnK 01.01.2013
We made these this morning, for a late New Year’s Day breakfast. We all thought they were delicious! I used regular onions, since we didn’t have any green onions and used broccoli instead of zucchini. I just sautéed the broccoli and onions for about 5 minutes, and then added them to the mixture. My older daughter thought they were adorable!