Cheeseburger Quinoa Bites

Step 1

Measure out 1 cup of quinoa, you will have a bit extra. (When I make quinoa, I prefer to make a large batch and freeze any extra so that I don't need to cook more every time I want to make this recipe.)

Step 2

Rinse the quinoa under water until the water runs clear. Do not skip this step as quinoa has a coating called saponin which will result in a bitter, unpleasant flavor if not rinsed off.

Step 3

Add 1 cup of quinoa and 1 ½ cups of water to a pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat to rest for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.

Step 4

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Cook the turkey until it has browned and any water has evaporated.

Step 5

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Step 6

Cut the pickles into a small dice.

Step 7

Stack the two cheese slices on top of each other and cut in half until you have small squares to fit on top of each bite. You should end up with 32 pieces.

Step 8

Measure out the cooked quinoa and mix all of the ingredients except the sliced cheese and ketchup into a large bowl until incorporated.

Step 9

Spray a mini muffin tin with oil and fill each well with the mixture.

Step 10

Top each quinoa bite with a squirt of ketchup and place a small cheese square over the top. If you need to be precise with measurements, weigh out the ketchup. If not, just squirt a tiny dollop onto each one, it will be much easier than measuring it out and the difference in calories will be minimal.

Step 11

Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes. I highly suggest buying a large mini muffin tin. It will help take your snack game to the next level. I use this 48 well Mini Muffin Tin.

Step 12

Allow the bites to cool to room temperature and place them into a large ziplock bag. Remove as much air as possible and place in the freezer. You must make sure they have cooled completely as if they are still warm when placed into the bag, steam will be trapped and lead to the formation of ice crystals.