Taco Quinoa Bites

About This Recipe

A freezer friendly snack that you can make ahead and have available in your freezer for whenever you may need a quick snack.  Made from quinoa and egg whites, these are a filling, low calorie option.

Ingredients

• ½ lb ground turkey (93/7)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 ¾ cup cooked quinoa
• 9 tbsp egg whites (½ cup + 1 tbsp. I use the liquid egg whites in the carton for ease. )
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 tbsp oat flour (any flour works)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

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.)
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.
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.
4. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the turkey and brown. Cook off any water remaining in the skillet.
5. Add in the tomato sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to incorporate.
6. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
7. Measure out the cooked quinoa and mix all of the ingredients except for ¼ cup of the shredded cheese into a large bowl until incorporated.
8. Spray a mini muffin tin with oil and fill each well with the mixture. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. 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.
9. 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.