Every busy mum knows that preparing school lunches can be a daunting task. You want to make sure your kids have a delicious and healthy meal that they will actually eat, but it should also be easy and quick to prepare. It won’t be long before you feel stuck on what to serve.
Until today! Here’s another one of our no-fail, fuss-free mealtime recipes over at the WMBT HQ – Cheesy Quinoa Bacon Bites.
These make a great healthy snack for your tots, a make-ahead freezer meal, and the perfect nutritious lunchbox treat with lots of protein. And yes, even grown-ups totally enjoy them as a go-to snack!
Why We’re Cuckoo for Cheesy Quinoa Bacon Bites
One of the many challenges a clever mum faces when prepping for the family is finding the right balance between healthy, tasty, and fun options.
This super versatile recipe checks all the right boxes! Not only are these bites incredibly delicious, but they are also packed with nutritious ingredients that are essential for our growing munchkins.
Quinoa, for example, is a protein-packed superfood that contains all nine essential amino acids. It's also a great source of fibre, iron, and magnesium.
Conversely, tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect against cancer and heart disease.
Bacon is an excellent treat for the little ones - but because bacon does tend to have high amounts of fat and sodium, this is a savvy way to serve them in perfectly portioned pieces!
And then there’s the hero ingredient to making this treat a fan-favourite. Because, who doesn’t love cheese, right?
This crowd-pleaser will have even the pickiest eaters licking their fingers. Crunchy yet soft, tasty yet healthy, impressive yet straightforward – a hero recipe for school lunches or as a snack on the go. Trust us; they’ll gobble these munchers right up!
Another great thing about our Cheesy Quinoa Bacon Bites recipe is that it’s totally flexible and impossible to get wrong. You can easily swap out any ingredient with what you already have in your pantry.
- If you prefer to skip the bacon, you can omit it entirely or replace it with another protein like chicken or tofu.
- If the little ones don't like tomatoes, you can substitute them with another vegetable like bell peppers, carrots, or zucchini.
- Don’t have basil on hand? Chopped fresh cilantro will work just as well.
- And if your child has any dietary restrictions, like being gluten-free or dairy-free, you can simply swap out the cheddar with a vegan alternative such as cashew ricotta cheese.
Snacking Made Effortless
When preparing school lunches, it's essential to have the right tools to make them quick and convenient. Our pick is the WMBT Snackies; these silicone snack boxes are the perfect portable size for packing snacks because they come with a lid that you can use to secure and store your mighty delicious munchies, just like these Cheesy Quinoa Bacon Bites.
They’re also great for busy mums who pack their own work (or even at home) snacks. And because these Snackies are made from silicone, they are a safe and eco-friendly alternative to plastic snack boxes.
Making these bacon bites is almost as much fun as eating them! It’s an easy baking recipe that takes less than an hour to make, so it can serve as an excellent bonding activity that encourages your kids to be more responsible in the kitchen while exploring a variety of textures and flavours. The little ones can help identify and wash the veggies, while the bigger kids can get in on the slicing and dicing. Simply gather all the ingredients beforehand, and you’re good to go.
But let’s face it; a kitchen clean-up is one we all want to be left out of the menu. No worries! This non-stick, non-slip, super durable, and shatter-proof lunch box is easy to clean. Just pop in the dishwasher to let it do the dirty work!
Ready to create your own culinary creation that will have your little ones going qu-razy for quinoa?
Cheesy Quinoa Bacon Bites Recipe
Makes 36 Kebabs | Prep 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 120 g (⅔ cup) uncooked quinoa
- 330 ml (1 ⅓ cup) chicken stock
- half a small onion, finely diced and sautéed
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced and sautéed
- 90 g (½ cup) bacon, finely diced and sautéed - equates to 3 rashers
- 60 g (½ cup) cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 eggs
- 3 cherry tomatoes, cut into little pieces
- a handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
Method
Add quinoa and chicken stock to a medium-sized saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from heat, set aside, and allow to cool. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180° C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Add all remaining ingredients to the cooled quinoa and stir to combine.
Shape a tablespoonful of quinoa mixture at a time into little balls by hand and place onto the prepared baking tray.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until it starts to turn golden.
Allow to cool slightly, then pop into your favourite WMBT Snackie for munching on the go.
The Secret Sauce to Taking This Recipe Up A Notch
All kids know that there’s something irresistible about eating with your hands. It puts your toddler in total control and makes mealtimes more adventurous. Earn extra brownie points when you serve these Cheesy Quinoa Bacon Bites with a sauce for dipping, making noshing on these nuggets even more fun!
Here are some dipping options to try:
- Homemade Yoghurt Dip
- Creamy Sweet Potato Dip
- Homemade Hummus
- Ketchup
- Barbecue Sauce
- Guacamole
- Kid-Friendly Salsa
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