I love these little nuggets. So do my kids. The triple veggies here are spinach, carrots and sweet potato. Plus you’ve got double cheeses: both ricotta and Parmesan. Hello, healthy flavors! These are unbelievably versatile, too. You can serve them as an appetizer with a little salsa or pico de gallo or hummus or guacamole on top or you can top them with cheese and make them into little vegetarian sliders. You can have these at breakfast with scrambled eggs. Or for lunch, you can layer these quinoa cakes into a pita pocket or a wrap and add some lettuce, tomato and a drizzle of sour cream or even Ranch dressing. These are great for a picnic and also work as a dinner side dish. Plus, they make a great toddler and kid finger food and the extras freeze beautifully. Yeah, you might want to double up on this recipe. Quinoa cakes forever! Plus, they’re really easy to make - just combine everything, shape into patties and throw in the oven. Voila! (You might also want to check out broccoli cheese quinoa bites.) A few quick notes on how to make triple veggie quinoa cakes. (Or feel free to scroll on down to the recipe card below.)
Ingredient Notes:
Quinoa: I use a white quinoa, but a tricolor quinoa would be fine, too. You could even try these with brown rice. Spinach: Raw baby spinach is a great way to incorporate more veggies without changing the flavor. Carrots: Any kind of carrots are fine to use, but since you’ll need to grate these, I would avoid using baby carrots. (They’re just a pain to grate compared to full size carrots.) Sweet potato: This also needs to be grated. I like using the fine side of my cheese grater so the veggies incorporate well and get tender when baking. Cheeses: The recipe uses a combination of ricotta and Parmesan cheeses within the quinoa cakes. These help with flavor as well as texture. You could add a third cheese on top if you like, to melt down while these are baking. Mozzarella would be yummy. Egg: I usually just need one egg. Sometimes, if my ricotta is especially dry, or my quinoa was leftover and cold from the fridge, I find I can’t form these into patties very well because the mixture doesn’t have enough moisture. I just add another egg, remix everything and I’m good to go.
Speaking of serving, you know I want to give you some fun topping ideas.
Toppings:
Extra cheese Avocado or guac Greek yogurt or sour cream Dollop of hummus Salsa Hot sauce or sriracha for a kick Drizzle of Ranch dressing
Pick and choose your favorites or try them a variety of ways. I love having some of these quinoa cakes on hand to pull out for my kids in a pinch, since they are so tasty and work great in so many different ways. Last thing, how to store the leftovers. These quinoa cakes will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also freeze great! Once cooked and cooled, pop the quinoa bites into a freezer bag, label and date it, and keep for up to 5 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat them in the microwave until warmed through. Or enjoy them cold or at room temperature. I hope you give these a try soon! XO, Kathryn Quinoa: I use a white quinoa, but a tricolor quinoa would be fine, too. You could even try these with brown rice. Cheeses: The recipe uses a combination of ricotta and Parmesan cheeses within the quinoa cakes. These help with flavor as well as texture. You could add a third cheese on top if you like, to melt down while these are baking. Mozzarella would be yummy. Egg: I usually just need one egg. Sometimes, if my ricotta is especially dry, or my quinoa was leftover and cold from the fridge, I find I can’t form these into patties very well because the mixture doesn’t have enough moisture. I just add another egg, remix everything and I’m good to go. Serving ideas: You can serve this quinoa cakes as an appetizer, topped with pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, guacamole or hummus, or pair them with cheese and slider buns. They also are great in the morning with eggs. Or for lunch, by themselves or in a pita pocket or wrap with your favorite fixings. They are a great dinner side dish and wonderful for kids, too! Leftovers: These quinoa cakes will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also freeze great! Once cooked and cooled, pop the quinoa bites into a freezer bag, label and date it, and keep for up to 5 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. Or enjoy them cold or at room temperature.
