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This past weekend Paul and I went on a weekend getaway to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time exploring a new city.
For me, breakfast is a huge topic. I absolutely believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is how you start your day off, and it is up to you to kick-start your day in a healthy way. This, in my opinion, makes a total difference in how well my day turns out.
Our hotel offered a complimentary breakfast, which is great to take advantage of, but you can never exactly anticipate what their breakfast has to offer. Will it include eggs? Maybe some bacon? Or how about some fresh fruit? OR will the breakfast simply consist of sugary, starchy cereals, waffles, and bagels? That kind of high carb breakfast does not agree with me. This girl will be “hangry” for the rest of the day after starting it with excess carbs and insufficient protein.
Get it? Hungry + Angry = Hangry!
My husband will be the first person to tell you that I am not a fun person to be around when I am hangry. And I agree; I don’t like being around myself either when I am hangry.
Since we were traveling on a budget and I didn’t want to take the gamble on what type of breakfast the hotel had to offer, I made my own breakfast just in case.
Broccoli and cheddar-bacon-quinoa bites! These little dudes are healthy, tasty, filling and insanely easy to make. They are the best travel food ever. Let me tell you why:
- You can eat them chilled, room temperature, or warm.
- They keep great in a chilled cooler.
- You don’t need a fork; they are bite-sized.
- You don’t even need a plate; maybe only a napkin.
- They are a balanced meal all rolled into one bite.
- Did I mention that they taste really, really good?
- You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- They’re even good as a snack.
Broccoli and cheddar-bacon-quinoa bites are incredibly delicious. The quinoa lends an earthy flavor with a slight pop. They are perfectly balanced with broccoli and cheddar flavor. Did I mention the bacon?
About 4 or 5 broccoli and cheddar-bacon-quinoa bites kept me satisfied until lunch. The quinoa, cheese, eggs, and bacon offer plenty of protein. The broccoli and quinoa give you gluten-free fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. The quinoa adds essential fatty acids, and the cheddar cheese augments the calcium in the broccoli.
I sure am glad that I made a double batch of these quinoa bites because our hotel offered only a high- starch, high-sugar breakfast. There weren’t any eggs, not a crumb of bacon, or a spoonful of yogurt; no low-carb protein in sight. I was very happy eating my broccoli and cheddar-bacon-quinoa bites and there was neither a hangry Emily, nor an expensive check for eating our breakfast out.
Next time you venture on a road trip you must make these broccoli and cheddar-bacon-quinoa bites. Your stomach, wallet, and taste buds will thank you, as will your travel companion.
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Broccoli and Cheddar-Bacon-Quinoa Bites
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 15 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Description
Broccoli and cheddar-bacon-quinoa bites are a delicious and healthy meal for breakfast or any time of day. They also make for the perfect travel food.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa (about 2 cups cooked quinoa)
- 1–1/2 cups water
- 2 eggs
- 3 egg whites
- 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled *
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 3/4 cups cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil and add the quinoa. Reduce to a simmer and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare mini muffin tin by greasing each cup.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Fill the mini muffin tin with the quinoa mixture. Fill each cup until it is full. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon or fingers.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the quinoa has browned and the mixture is firm. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and remove from the cups. You can either cool them completely on a cooling rack or serve them warm. They store really well in the refrigerator and are delicious both chilled, at room temperature, or warm.
Notes
*To make this a gluten-free recipe, use bacon that is labeled “gluten-free.”
Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats
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