Quinoa Pizza Bites
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups quinoa cooked
1 1/3 cup Italian cheese blend shredded and low fat
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 3/4 cup pizza toppings (turkey pepperoni, peppers, etc)
3 tbsp pizza sauce
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp basil
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
I hosted a party this past weekend and decided to try a few new recipes. I have made mini pizza bites in the past for my guests, but I decided to make a gluten free option this time. Quinoa pizza bites came to mind, because it is not only gluten free quinoa recipe, but it is delicious! I decided to make 3 different types of quinoa pizza bites, and I had excellent reviews for all 3! The base of the recipe is the same, and you can feel free to jazz up your bites with any toppings you would like.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini muffin pan with a decent amount of cooking spray.
Gather all ingredients. Dice up the pizza toppings into small pieces and set aside. If you are using ingredients such as banana peppers, make sure to pat them dry before using them, otherwise they will make the pizza bites soggy.
In a large bowl, mix all other ingredients together, making sure that you mix very well. Add the toppings to the bowl and mix well.
I typically use these brands of parmesan cheese and sauce.
Now, you will need to scoop a large spoon full of the quinoa pizza bite dough into each mini muffin pan spot. You will need to use your fingers or a spoon to pack the “dough” down in each spot and fill to the top. I typically have to use 2 muffin pans, because I usually have enough for 30 mini bites.
I usually sprinkle a little pinch of Parmesan cheese over the top of each bite, but this is entirely up to you!
Cook on 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool in pan for at least 5 minutes before attempting to pop the bites out.
After 5 minutes, use a toothpick to scrap around each bite, in order to loosen them up. Some may pop right out, and other may need a little assistance. Again, make sure to spray each individual space well!
If you feel these are still a little too fragile after 5 minutes of cooling, put them back into the oven for a few more minutes. The toppings you use will make a difference in regards to the baking time.
Serve warm with a side of pizza sauce and enjoy!!!!