Cheese and Veggie Quinoa Bites

I've had a little bag of quinoa sitting in my pantry for the last couple of weeks and I knew if I didn't use it soon, it would get pushed to the back, never to be seen until the next time I cleaned those cabinets. So of course I turned to Pinterest (notice a trend here? LOL!) and there was a recipe for cheese and veggie quinoa bites. They looked so cute and something I could use to get some more vegetables into Madeline. She’s been getting a little picky lately so I knew I had to do something about that and these were the perfect little thing to get her to eat spinach without making a big deal about it. I don’t know what is up with her and vegetables, since this was the same little girl at age 2 who wanted to eat salad every day for lunch!

I’ll definitely be making these again! They’re so tasty and a great way to use up whatever vegetables you have laying around.

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 eggs
3 carrots, shredded
1 ½ cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
½ medium red pepper, chopped
1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp flour
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture into small balls and place into each mini muffin cup. Press down lightly to make sure the mixture is firmly packed.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: The Curvy Carrot