Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Quinoa Bites

What an incredible surprise these little babies turned out to be!  These are absolutely delicious!   What can I say...quinoa, ham, broccoli, cheese.....this is a fabulous side dish for just about anything.

And if the flavor weren't enough there are even more pluses to this recipe......you can make it ahead and then bake when you feel like it.  And although we had none left over, these bites would freeze wonderfully.  I only made 1/2 batch and could kick myself.  The half batch I made made 21 bites in the mini-muffin tin.  And I suppose you could use regular muffin tins for Big Bites, just experiment with the cooking time.

I really hope you'll try these.

NOTE TO SELF:   Batch on 12/12/17 came out very salty.  Be careful.  Also, the 12-bowl tin is a bit deeper and came out better than the more shallow 24-bowl tin.

CHEESY HAM and BROCCOLI QUINOA BITES (makes at least 3 dozen mini bites)

3 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked cooked in 3 cups boiling water or chicken broth for 15-20 minutes, then turn to low....finished when water is absorbed)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz deli ham, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
1-2 cups finely chopped steamed broccoli (put florets in glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3-4 minutes.  No need to add water)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the cheese until combined.  Stir in the cheese until well-distributed.  Lightly grease a mini muffin cup tin.  

Scoop the quinoa mixture into the tin, filling the cups all the way to the top and lightly pressing to pack the mixture a bit (I used my cookie scoop which is about 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp).  Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden on top.  Remove from the tin and repeat with the remaining mixture (you can scoop it into the warm tin and bake again).  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Source: MelsKitchenCafe