Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Rinse the quinoa and add it to a medium-sized pot along. Add the water, stir briefly, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with the lid and reduce to medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and the “whitetail” appears on the grains. Transfer to a bowl, fluff it up with a spoon and allow it to cool (almost) completely.
Cut the cauliflower into small pieces and steam until tender. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Once cool, cut it up into pea-sized pieces.
As soon as the quinoa and cauliflower are cooled, add them to a medium-sized bowl. Add ALL of the remaining ingredients. Mix until thoroughly combined. Adjust any seasonings to taste.
Using a small cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop the mix (approx. 3 tbsp worth) and press together to form a ball. Make sure to really compress your scoop.
Transfer immediately to the baking trays, evenly spaced apart.
Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm with any dip, sauce, aioli, or queso! YUM!!!
Notes
To make this vegan, replace the eggs with 3 tbsp of ground flaxseed – mix the ground flaxseed separately with 4 tbsp of water prior to adding to the mixture.To make this nut-free use 1/3 cup of Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend instead of almond flour.Add any vegan or dairy cheese to the mix if you would like (about ½ - 1 cup). Make it EXTRA cheesy! No one would be mad ;)Customize the flavor by adding more garlic OR add hot sauce OR oregano OR anything you wish!This is a GREAT bite for any gathering, party, OR night in! ☺Store the cheesy bites in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 – 7 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat to serve or enjoy cold.