Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins

It’s nice to see you, 2017! While last year will be tough to beat, I have a sneaking suspicion that the New Year is going to be quite the flavor-packed extravaganza. We have a whole host of new recipes and guides lined up for your eating and entertaining pleasure. And we’re kicking things off on the light and tasty front with none other than Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins.

I spent last weekend in Kansas City meeting my precious new niece and helping my sister stock her freezer with a variety of easy freezer meals. One of her requests was for Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins that she could pop into the microwave whenever she needed a fast, filling breakfast or snack.

Consider these perfectly portable egg muffins to be the equivalent of handheld omelettes. They’re high in protein and low in carbs, making them the ultimate breakfast-on-the-go. Best of all? You can customize the fillings and toppings to suit your tastes.

Not a fan of spinach? Skip it! Quite the carnivore? Stir in cooked breakfast sausage! Where’s the cheese? Add your favorite variety! This is your chance to clean out the fridge and make the most of random leftover odds and ends. (And we all know what a fan I am of leftovers!)

We played around with a few different versions of the egg muffin cups, and today’s recipe for Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins with spinach, feta, and a colorful array of veggies was our favorite.

We nailed just the right amount of mix-ins so that each of the breakfast egg muffin cups packs a feel-good serving of veg without a) falling apart or b) resembling a mini salad. I consider myself a vegetable enthusiast, but even I have my limitations before 10 a.m.

We worked out the proper whole egg to egg white ratio to make the egg muffins high protein (6 large eggs + 4 egg whites) and low carb while maintaining a filling, creamy texture. (If you are looking for an egg muffin zero carb recipe, consider changing up the mix-ins you add to get the carbs down even more or check out these Zero Carb Egg Muffins, which are higher in fat—it depends upon what exact ratio meets your needs, so feel free to play around.)

Because egg-white-heavy recipes can be—there really is no polite way to say this—SO BORING, we jazzed ours up with McCormick Dried Basil and McCormick Dried Oregano. The combo gives the breakfast egg muffins an Italian-inspired flair and complements the vegetables and feta.

Ingredients

•  1 cup lightly packed baby spinach — chopped
•  3/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper — about 1 small pepper
•  3/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper — about 1 small pepper
•  3/4 cup quartered cherry tomatoes — or grape tomatoes, about 1 cup whole tomatoes
•  6 large eggs
•  4 large egg whites
•  1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
•  1/4 teaspoon McCormick Dried Basil
•  1/4 teaspoon McCormick Dried Oregano
•  Pinch ground black pepper — or cayenne pepper if you like a little kick!
•  1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese — plus additional to sprinkle on top
•  Optional toppings: avocado — salsa, hot sauce, freshly chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Divide the spinach, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and tomatoes among the cups (they will be about two-thirds of the way full).
2. In a large bowl or large measuring cup with a spout (my favorite because it makes the mixture easy to pour), briskly whisk together the eggs, egg whites, salt, basil, oregano, and pepper until well combined. Carefully fill each muffin cup three-quarters of the way to the top with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the feta evenly over the tops of the cups.
3. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until the egg muffins are set. Let cool for a few minutes, and then run a butter knife around the edges of each muffin to loosen it. Remove them from the pan and enjoy immediately, or let cool on a wire rack and refrigerate or freeze for later (see notes for more details).