Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Nuggets You and Your Kids Will Love
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Like most moms, I am constantly concerned about how I’m going to get vegetables into my daughter. So, when my friend requested a version of quinoa nuggets, I jumped at the chance to test some loaded quinoa veggie nuggets.
The key elements here are going to be:
- Cooking quinoa perfectly
- Choosing the right vegetables
- Using a cheese your kids will love
- Baking them for a delicious bite
So, let’s get started!
Cooking Quinoa Perfectly on the Stove Top
I say stove top because I have a short cut for using your Instant Pot further down. When it comes to cooking quinoa, there are a couple of little tricks to tender grains. First, you need to give them a good rinse. This helps to reduce the bitter taste quinoa can have.
Second, toast your dry grains. After the rinse, they need to dry. This can be sped up by toasting your grains until dry and then further until they smell fragrant and nutty.
After that, my final trick is to stick to a 1:3 ratio of quinoa to water. I usually do 1/2 cup of quinoa to 1 1/2 cups water to make enough for the three of us. For meal prep, I do 1 cup of quinoa to 3 cups of water. And, of course, season the water with salt to make sure it tastes nice.
As for the actual cooking, I leave my toasted grains in the pot and add the water, bringing the whole thing up to a simmer. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes for the water to absorb and for the grains to get tender.
Adding Vegetables to Quinoa Nuggets
It’s a little up in the air to what kind of veggies your kids will eat. For my kid, I can hide spinach or pumpkin very easily, and broccoli is always a safe option. But any other thing needs to be hidden really well.
For our purposes today, I’m going to introduce a little vegan protein in the form of yellow split peas and we’re going to add some sweet carroty flavor with shredded carrots. This is going to give it all a nice orange color that kids associate with cheesy foods.
For the pickiest of eaters, this may help you get away with sneaking veggies in. However, if your kids are less picky and just looking for a tasty snack, add chopped spinach or broccoli.
Yellow Split Peas for Protein and Fiber
Let’s backtrack a little bit, though, to talk about yellow split peas and why we’re using them. For starters, they are full of fiber, B-vitamins, folate, iron, and choline (which is great for brain development).
Yellow split peas are also a strong source of protein, missing only one of the amino acids that would make it a “complete protein,” tryptophan (source). So, this addition is my favorite way to bump up the full-belly-quotient of our quinoa veggie nuggets.
And actually, quinoa has all 9 amino acids making it a “complete protein” on its own. So, if you’re at all worried about what your child is eating, rest easy. The peas serve to pack more good stuff into each bite.
What Carrots Bring to the Bite
With all the praise given to the split peas, why bother adding anything else? Well, flavor, of course! Quinoa and peas can be a tiny bit bitter. The average child’s palate will pick up on this and they’ll turn up their nose.
This is just a biological reaction protecting them from eating poison, so don’t get too mad when they won’t scarf down kale. To make quinoa veggie nuggets that your kid will love, we’re adding carrots for their sweet flavor, first and foremost.
However, they’re not just delicious. Carrots a low-calorie way to boost Vitamin A and K1 as well as some B vitamins (source).
Sneaking in a Little Extra Nutrition
And since we’re sneaking in nutrition with our flavor, try a little nutritional yeast. This is my secret weapon for making cheesy dishes extra delicious. It’s a vegan supplement that tastes a little funky like ripe cheddar, but it also serves up plenty of B-vitamins, zinc, and (surprise) all 9-amino acids to qualify as a “complete protein” (source).
Now, we’re not using nearly enough for it to be a superfood addition, but can we agree that every little bit helps? When it comes to making sure my kid is getting enough to grow big and strong, I’m all about it. This is especially true, if I can only get her to eat one or two bites.
The Instant Pot Shortcut to Cooking Quinoa and Split Peas
Now, if you happen to have access to an Instant Pot, I’m about to save you a load of time and dishes. Instead of cooking your quinoa and peas separately, dump them both into your Instant Pot.
And, while we’re at it, dump in your grated carrot and salt. Let those flavors really get to know each other.
For 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1/2 cup of split peas, you’ll need to add 1 1/2 cups of water (or vegetable broth, if you want). Set it to Pressure Cook for 8 minutes. Quinoa is done in 4, but the peas take longer to get soft.
At 4 minutes, the peas are toothsome, but they just need a wee bit longer. It’s also important to let your Instant Pot depressurize naturally because that is time your peas and grains are still soaking up liquid.
Add Cheese to Your Quinoa Veggie Nuggets
I’m happy to say you don’t have to add cheese, and that these quinoa veggie bites can be served up vegan-style to your kiddos. However, my daughter loves cheese, and sometimes, that’s the only thing she will eat.
So, for this recipe, I’m adding a cube of colby jack to the center of each bite. Remember, this is optional. I like colby jack because it’s melty, mellow, and the marbled coloring is fun. Plus, it’s one of the two cheeses my daughter loves best (this other is mozzarella).
It was tempting to do shredded cheese throughout, but in the end, a pocket of cheese in the middle ended up being more fun for everyone. Plus, I didn’t have to worry about the bitter burnt bits in the crust.
Assembling Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Nuggets
We’re not deep frying these babies, but I am here with two options for baking. The first is the oven, and the second (more preferable option) is the air fryer.
Before we even get into that, let’s circle back and talk about assembly. You know what goes in these bites, but how does it get in there?
So, you start with your cooked and cooled quinoa and split peas. Mix those together (if you didn’t cook them together in the Instant Pot). Stir in the grated carrot and nutritional yeast. Then, just let that cool. Add in a beaten egg, and you’re ready to form.
I use a 2-3 Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to form these. It keeps my hands clean and gives me even nuggets. Scoop up some “dough” and create a divot in the center.
Pop in your cube of cheese, and then form the dough back around it to seal it up. Try to get the cheese in the true center to avoid it leaking out. Drop your scoop on the baking sheet and you’re ready to go.
Oven Bake or Air Fry
Now, if you’re baking them in the oven, you’ll go for 15-20 minutes at 375ºF. If you’re air frying, you need to do batches of 6 at 375ºF for 12-15 minutes.
If you’re making a lot more than you need, here’s what I recommend. Let them cool completely, and then freeze them. When you’re ready to use them, reheat them in the air fryer at 350ºF for 7 minutes.
I prefer the air fryer because it makes the tops nice and brown. However, baking them all at once does take less time.
Here’s What You End Up With
At the end of this, you’ll end up biting into a hot nugget with a satisfyingly melty, cheesy center. The tang of the nutritional yeast will intensify the colby jack’s flavor, while the sweetness from the carrots will balance any minor bitter flavors from the quinoa.
The earthiness from the quinoa, peas, and carrots is comforting, and you might feel like dipping your bites in a little hot sauce to brighten that up. Your kids, on the other hand, might prefer dipping in some ranch. That’s also delicious!
The exterior is a little crunchy, but the inside is still soft and moist. While they feel a little heavy, the nutrition packed into each bite is evident. I feel good about what my kid is eating, and I know she’s going to bed full and satisfied.
Tools You’ll Need
Here are the 3 things that make it a lot easier to make cheesy quinoa veggie nuggets:
What to Serve with Your Nuggets
Your kids will love these by themselves or dipped in ranch dressing or ketchup. However, most adults like a meal to include other things. I think a nice fresh salad goes well with these. While they’re pretty darn healthy, they still feel like a decadent treat.
Try my blueberry arugula salad as a bright, poppy addition to your plate. Or, take it easy on yourself and grab a bagged salad at the grocery store. Up to you! You work hard, friend, so treat yourself well.
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Nuggets
Equipment
- Instant Pot (optional)
- Air Fryer (optional)
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- #40 Cookie Scoop (2.8 Tbsp)
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- ½ cup uncooked yellow split peas
- ½ cup carrot finely grated
- 2 – 2½ cups water or vegetable broth (2 for Instant Pot recipe; 2½ cups for stovetop)
- 1 tsp pink himalayan sea salt
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 large egg
- 4 oz colby jack cheese cubed
Instructions
Stove Top Cooking Instructions
- Quinoa: Rinse and dry, and then toast your quinoa until it smells nutty. Add in 1½ cups water and ½ tsp salt, and bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.
- Split Peas: To a small saucepan, add 1 cup of water, ½ tsp salt, and ½ cup of split peas. Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue simmering for 20-30 minutes until tender.
- Mix the quinoa and peas together with grated carrot and nutritional yeast and cool to room temperature.
Instant Pot Cooking Instructions
- Add quinoa, split peas, and grated carrot to your Instant Pot with 2 cups of water. Secure the lid and set to Pressure Cook for 8 minutes. All the pot to depressurize naturally.
- Stir in nutritional yeast and allow to cool to room temperature.
Start here once you have cooked quinoa and peas
- Preheat your oven or air fryer to 375ºF.
- Once your quinoa/pea/carrot/nooch mixture is cool, fold in a beaten egg.
- Scoop out 2-3 Tbsp sized balls with a cookie scoop. Poke a cheese cube into the center and remold the dough around the cheese. Drop the scoop onto your lined baking sheet.
- If baking in the oven, place your sheet tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- If air frying, spritz the basket with a little bit of oil. Then, place 6 nuggets in your air fryer basket. Fry for 12 minutes.
