Easy Cheesy Sausage and Quinoa Bites

Cheesy sausage and quinoa balls are a delicious protein-packed, gluten-free addition to your menu plan — perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack!

Our kids LOVE my meatloaf and homemade meatballs — I suppose it’s because the meat is so soft and easy for them to chew (versus steak or pork chops). They also love breakfast sausage…

So a while back, I decided to make “breakfast meatballs” as I called them — using sausage, oatmeal, egg, seasonings, etc. Basically my normal meatloaf recipe, just with sausage instead of beef, and oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs. 

The results were OK, but not amazing. 

A few weeks later, in an attempt to use up some leftover cooked quinoa we had in the fridge, I combined ground sausage and the cooked quinoa… and added a little cheese (because who doesn’t love cheese!) 

The results were FANTASTIC! 

You’ll Love these Sausage Quinoa Bites!

Since ground sausage is much “stickier” than ground beef, these bites come together so much faster and easier than meatballs. Plus, you won’t need any additional seasonings (not even salt) as ground sausage already has seasonings mixed in.

They work as a side dish for breakfast or brunch, a protein-packed snack, or an easy lunch on the go. And they are a great way to add more protein (and flavor) to zoodles, spaghetti squash, or regular pasta noodles! 

These Cheesy Sausage and Quinoa Balls are a great make-ahead freezer food too — so feel free to make a double batch and save some for later.

Don’t they look delicious!?!

Just wait until you see how quick and easy they are to make! 

Ingredients for Cheesy Sausage and Quinoa Bites

• 1 pound ground sausage (uncooked)
• 1 c. COOKED quinoa** (about 1/2 c. uncooked)
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 T. cornstarch
• pinch of black pepper (you won’t need salt)

**NOTE: I cook the quinoa in my rice cooker, but you can also simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes. Use roughly 1/2 c. dry quinoa and 1 cup water or broth.

Substitutions:

I’m always in favor of using whatever you already have in the house… so even though there are only a few ingredients, here are some ideas of substitutions you could make if necessary:

• Use ground pork instead of sausage (but then you’ll want to add a bunch of seasonings)
• Use turkey sausage instead of pork sausage
• Try different types of cheese (we really like feta on occasion)
• Use all-purpose flour instead of cornstarch if you don’t need it to be gluten-free
• Try cooked rice or cooked oatmeal if you don’t have quinoa (or don’t like quinoa)
• Add in additional spices or seasonings based on your taste preferences

How to Make These Sausage and Quinoa Bites

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. 

2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until combined. 

How to Serve Sausage and Quinoa Bites

We usually eat them for breakfast — with pancakes, waffles, or omelets. They are also a great after-school snack when you want something extra hardy.

We enjoy them cold, so they work for lunches as well (although 2 of our kids have microwaves in their classrooms).

And if you’re looking for a different side dish for your next pasta meal, these sausage bites pair well with your favorite pasta + sauce. I especially like them with zoodles.

Sausage bites are freezer-friendly!

If you like to cook ahead like I do, make a double or triple batch and freeze them for later.

To freeze cooked sausage bites:

• Let cooked sausage bites cool to room temperature.
• Place cooled bites on a cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.
• Transfer frozen bites to a zip-top bag or storage container.
• To reheat, simply pull out however many bites you want and microwave them for 1 minute, or until heated through.

To freeze uncooked sausage bites:

• Place uncooked bites on a large cookie sheet and freezer for 20 minutes.
• Transfer bites to a zip-top bag or storage container.
• To cook from frozen, preheat oven and cook according to recipe instructions. 

Quinoa Quick Facts

Back in 2019, when I did lots of research on whole grains, I learned how amazing quinoa actually is… here are a few quick facts:

1. Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a gluten-free seed that acts like a grain (I sometimes grind it into flour for baking.)

2. It’s a complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids our bodies need (including Lysine, which is absent from almost all other grains).

3. Quinoa is loaded with healthy fats, iron, calcium, and vitamins.

4. It’s super quick and easy to make, readily available in almost all grocery stores, and really tasty! 

I regularly cook large batches of quinoa in my rice cooker, let it cool, and freeze it in zip-top bags. I frequently add it to casseroles, soups, stews, egg dishes, and even salads!