Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites

If you are familiar with the food blogging world, then you have had to have seen these little bites making their way around the blogosphere.  Genius, I have to say.  A genius appetizer for the health-conscious.  Super Bowl, anyone?  Anyways, the first time I saw these was on Pinterest, then the food photography websites, and I knew I would be adding them to my ever-growing list of “must-dos”.

I’ve already talked about the health benefits of quinoa from one of my favorite blog posts of all time (check it out!), so I don’t need to repeat myself there.  But if you’ve got a box or bag of quinoa on hand, some leftover veggies to get rid of, and maybe a little bit of cheese on hand, then you’ve got an easy, savory, and bite-sized appetizer ready in less than 20 minutes.

I had ironically made quinoa for a little veggie dish the night before and was wondering what to do with the leftovers.  I had cooked way too much of the stuff in order to get rid of the box and make room in my pantry, so I had exactly 2 cups of cooked quinoa ready to go.  I had a few random carrots, some fresh spinach, and some shallot on hand, too.  The beauty of this recipe is its versatility in what you can add into it.  Peas?  Maybe.  Corn?  Probably.  Kale? Hopefully.  I just tossed the veggies in my food processor and was good to go.  And, as far as cheese goes, I added in some sharp cheddar in because I was out of Parmesan.  As long as you can bind it all together with those eggs, I say add as many veggies in as possible.

For serving, I dipped them in Ranch dressing.  Probably not the healthiest, but, since Ranch is my kryptonite, I couldn’t resist.  You can forgo the dipping sauce by adding in some additional spices to add to the flavor content.

In my opinion, these are best straight from the oven.  When I reheated them in the microwave, they were a bit soggy for my taste (I was too impatient to try re-heating them in the oven.), but they were still flavorful and satisfying.

Here’s to our health.  And the Super Bowl.

Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites

Servings: 24 bites

 

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 large eggs

3 carrots, shredded

1 and 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 medium shallot, chopped

2 teaspoons garlic

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated **Or, to your liking

2 tablespoons flour

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients together, mixing until thoroughly combined.

4. Using a melon baller or a tablespoon, place rounded drops of the mixture into each cup of the muffin pan, pressing each one down lightly with your fingers to make sure that each one is firmly packed.

5. Bake until lightly golden, about 15-20 minutes.

6. Serve immediately.

 

Source:  Adapted from So Very Blessed.

January 24, 2012 - 6:33 am

Maureen - I made a curried quinoa salad this week and I loved it but that’s before I saw these veggie bites. I love quinoa so it’s gonna be veggie bites next in my kitchen!

January 24, 2012 - 12:54 pm

Heidi @ Food Doodles - I know my kids will love these, I’ve got to try them. I’ve been seeing them around too, they must be good 😀

January 24, 2012 - 3:42 pm

Ann P. - these look SOOO dang good! What would you suggest as a dipping sauce besides ranch?

January 24, 2012 - 4:43 pm

srlacy - You could really try anything. I always go for the Ranch, but maybe a cheese sauce would work? The original source of this recipe used a low-fat type of salad dressing. I’m not sure if mustard would work, either…that might be too much flavor going on.

January 24, 2012 - 7:47 pm

Margaret Murphy Tripp - They look DELICIOUS!!!

January 26, 2012 - 12:02 pm

take-it-to-go thursdays: mexican quinoa salad « the kitchen counsel - […] Since I had it so many moons ago, I assume that everyone has had quinoa. However, after talking about it with people, I realize that is not the case. However, it is getting more popular–I’ve seen it all over the blogosphere in the past few months. […]

January 26, 2012 - 1:07 pm

take-it-to-go thursdays: mexican confetti quinoa salad « the kitchen counsel - […] Since I had it so many moons ago, I assume that everyone has had quinoa. However, after talking about it with people, I realize that is not the case. However, it is getting more popular–I’ve seen it all over the blogosphere in the past few months. […]

January 27, 2012 - 5:19 am

Miriam - oh my!!! I died a little. Can’t wait to try these

January 29, 2012 - 1:21 pm

Niki - I saw these on pinterest they look really tasty!! Could I sub. the flour for rice flour, cornstarch, or something gluten free?

January 29, 2012 - 3:19 pm

srlacy - Hi Niki-
I have not tried this myself, so all I can say is to go for it and see what happens. The rice flour would probably work the best out of those choices, I would think. Good luck!

January 29, 2012 - 11:53 pm

Becky (So Very Blessed) - These look incredible! Love the addition of spinach! Thank you so much for your kind words about my recipe! That was so sweet of you to say! And I totally agree about them being best straight from the oven! Ranch also happens to be my kryptonite…I could eat it with practically EVERYTHING!

January 30, 2012 - 12:22 am

Samantha R. - So, I “pintrested” upon your blog and saw these quinoa bites. Made them today – used my food processor to chop up the veggies, worked great – and they were wonderful. Even my anti-vegetable husband liked them. I’m making a second batch tomorrow and I’m going to freeze them into balls so I can pull them out after our daughter comes (hopefully in the next 2weeks). Excited to have some healthy, quick meal options for the long days ahead.

January 31, 2012 - 1:24 pm

Tiffany Youngren - I am super familiar with the food blogging world – but haven’t yet come across these! They look so yummy!

~ Tiffany

Transfer of Health
Healthy Recipes and How to Feel Good

February 4, 2012 - 10:37 am
February 4, 2012 - 10:33 pm

sally - are these suitable to freeze?

February 5, 2012 - 10:25 am

srlacy - I haven’t tried it, but I am sure that they would be fine if you froze in advance.

February 5, 2012 - 11:07 pm

Mrs. Lansdell - Made these tonight for a Super Bowl snack. They were YUM. I used broccoli as the veggie. I felt so good about serving them bc I am a big fan of quinoa. This recipe is a keeper. It was simple to make, has lots of possibilities (using a variety of veggies), easy to serve, tasty, satisfying and HEALTHY. Thank you for posting!

February 6, 2012 - 12:55 pm

Dee - Made these last night – delicious!!

Dip – sriracha sauce and a President’s Choice hummus salad dressing (in Canada)

I added chickpeas, spinach, red pepper, zucchini, onion, garlic, carrots, jalapeño jack, cheddar AND Romano cheeses, as well as a splash of sriracha sauce (for heat).

I didn’t have mini muffin tins, so I made small patties and baked on a cookie sheet with parchment paper (no oil needed!). Took about 25 min at 350 as I think all those veggies added more liquid, but turned out just awesome!

Thanks!!

February 6, 2012 - 1:48 pm

Dee - Made these last night – delicious!

Dip – sriracha sauce and President’s Choice hummus salad dressing (in Canada).

I added chickpeas, spinach, red pepper, zucchini, onion, garlic, and carrots to the food processor, and jalapeño jack, cheddar and Romano cheeses (grated), as well as a splash of sriracha sauce (for heat).

I didn’t have mini muffin tins, so I made small patties and and baked on a cookie sheet with parchment paper (no oil needed!). Took about 25 min at 350 as I think all those extra veggies added more liquid, but turned out just awesome!

Thanks!!

February 8, 2012 - 2:02 pm

recipe: cheese & vegetable quinoa bites » A Bigger Story - […] great together.  I, of course, can’t take credit for this recipe.  I originally found it here (via Pinterest).  If you’re looking for something a little different and new, give these a […]

March 11, 2012 - 3:51 am

Internet Meals | Ocean Soul - […] from the top left corner and going clockwise:   Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites (but I used potato starch instead of flour), Gluten Free Potato Leek Soup, Gluten Free Apricot […]

March 16, 2012 - 10:40 pm

Lucia - I just made this!!!! They are beyond delicious!! Have anyone tried them with gluten free flour? Would love to give this recipe to my mom that is Celiac! Thanks

April 2, 2012 - 7:52 am

Vegetable quinoa bites with simple yogurt dip « clementinecuisine - […] slightly adapted from The Curvy Carrot Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. Tags cheese, light, quick […]

April 2, 2012 - 12:59 pm

Bouchées quinoa légumes et dip au yaourt « clementine cuisine - […] légèrement adapté de The Curvy Carrot  Share this:TwitterFacebookJ'aimeJ'aime  Tags fromage, léger, quinoa Catégories A […]

April 19, 2012 - 1:50 am

Georgia - I only have quinoa flakes, do you think it would work?

April 19, 2012 - 9:44 am

srlacy - Hi Georgia-

I had to Google to see what quinoa flakes are! 🙂 I don’t think that these would work, only because you need the texture and firmness of the grain to make the patties. I think the flakes would be a little too soft.

May 10, 2012 - 9:30 pm

Jayanthi - Love quinoa, I’m one of those quinoa fanatics….these bites look awesome. Now its going on to my must-do list.

June 19, 2012 - 6:01 am

on the menu « girl evolving - […] quinoa veggie bites […]

June 22, 2012 - 8:04 am

Ingredient Spotlight: Quinoa | Mod City Mag - […] Cheese & Veggie Quinoa Bites […]

June 23, 2012 - 3:42 pm

Quinoa « ahealthyhappyhome - […] Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. Permalink […]

August 30, 2012 - 11:12 am
September 30, 2012 - 5:32 pm

Mimi Bear - I have made these a couple of times–DELICIOUS. I make the for a cold snack and they are really excellent.

October 1, 2012 - 10:06 am

Trying new things: Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Bites « seasonedwithsarcasm - […] adapted from The Curvy Carrot […]

October 31, 2012 - 1:26 pm

MamaBear to 4 - These are delicious! I just made them for lunch for my 3 girls and they love them! They are saying they are delicious cupcakes. I used gluten free bread crumbs in place of the flour and onion powder in place of the shallot (only because I didn’t have one on hand). Thanks for the great idea!

November 18, 2012 - 12:29 pm

Healthy Thanksgiving Ideas « ahealthyhappyhome - […] Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites […]

December 18, 2012 - 10:32 am

Cheesy Quinoa Bites « Kids in the Sink - […] Slightly adapted from The Curvy Carrot Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like […]

February 4, 2013 - 11:59 am

Recent projects and OJH fun » Organized Jewish Home | Organized Jewish Home - […] are tons of variations on the internet: taco, cheese and vegetable, parmesan…Just search! It’s a fun way to get your protein and even […]

May 19, 2013 - 6:43 pm

Black Bean Sliders » The Curvy Carrot - […] Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites […]

September 15, 2013 - 7:39 pm

Susan - Made these for a party and skipped the ranch dressing. They were quite a hit!

October 20, 2013 - 12:16 am

Alice Jackson - Made these today….delicious! I used brown rice flour and omitted the shallot. My batch made 24 mini’s and 12 regular sized muffins. Great for a veggie side dish or a healthy snack.

January 25, 2014 - 6:30 am

Quinoa Recipes - Rachel Cooks - […] Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites {The Curvy Carrot} […]

February 15, 2014 - 1:58 pm

Laurie Ottinger - I modified your recipe, adding freekah and wheat berries with the quinoa. I also shred zucchini and broccoli and add to it. I wanted to let you know that Bolthouse Farms makes the most AWESOME yogurt ranch dressing. You will never feel guilty about eating ranch dressing again!!
I make about a dozen of these have 2 every day at breakfast.
Yummy!

April 30, 2014 - 11:17 pm

Jacqueline Lovitch - I made these. I added an egg so that I could remove the flour and it worked! So very worth the long prep time!

July 1, 2014 - 12:39 pm

Susan - I have made these twice for parties and both times they were a hit! No dipping sauce needed, just go heavy on the cheddar.

August 27, 2014 - 4:36 pm

50 Creative Recipes to Eat More Quinoa | RealFoodies - […] 10. Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites The next time you host a party, serve up some of these savory baked bites. These little guys contain cheese, shredded carrots, and fresh spinach (a superfood in its own right), and owe their flavor to garlic and shallots. […]

November 30, 2014 - 7:54 pm

Karen - Can these be frozen?

January 21, 2015 - 6:06 pm

Vegetable Quinoa Wrap | All Documents - […] Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites | The Curvy Carrot – Maureen-I made a curried quinoa salad this week and I loved it but that’s before I saw these veggie bites. I love quinoa so it’s gonna be veggie bites next in my …… […]