I don't know about you guys, but sometimes figuring out what to have for breakfast is HARD. It depends on the mood that I'm in, and it also depends on what I have in my fridge and pantry. For a little while pre-COVID, I found myself going to Starbucks and eating their egg bites as part of my breakfast. They are so delicious and high in protein, so were a perfect breakfast on-the-go. But part of me thought "I can definitely make these at home for 1/10 of the cost"... So then I got to work on finding an easy breakfast recipe that is perfect for meal prepping, AND tastes similar to the Starbucks eggs. Now I should note that the Starbucks egg bites are cooked "sous vide", so these aren't EXACTLY the same (I am not fancy enough to cook sous vide). But these are close enough ;)
So VOILA! Here is my delicious egg bite recipe! They’re perfect for a quick and easy breakfast when you're working from home, and also on the way out the door to the office. I love making these on a Sunday afternoon and enjoying them throughout the week. And if you have kids, I promise they will love them as well because they are quick and delicious. And don't limit these to breakfast! They can also be a great protein addition to your lunch.
I used veggies & cheese for this recipe, but it is so easy to customize with whatever ingredients you like! Think about your favorite omelet recipe and apply to these bites... Here are some ideas for what to add:
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Carrots
Red onion
Green onion
Chives
Bacon
Turkey
Ham
Basil
Dill
Parsley
Jalapeños
Cooked, diced sweet potatoes
A variety of cheeses: mozzarella, feta, cheddar, blue cheese, parmesan, etc.
In addition to protein, these egg bites have SO many other nutrients. Depending on what you add, this recipe is source of vitamin C, A, B6, and potassium from the veggies, small source of iron from the spinach. The cheese offers protein, healthy fats, and calcium, to name a few!
The only thing missing from this recipe would be carbohydrates, so try to pair these egg bites with some good complex carbohydrates so that you have some energy, and stay full until your next meal or snack. Here are some examples of good carbohydrates to have with these egg bites:
A couple of slices of whole grain toast (ex. Silver Hills)
Whole wheat bagel
Whole wheat English muffin
Bowl of oatmeal
Bowl of whole grain cereal (ex. Kashi, Nature's Path, etc.)
Cooked chunks of yam or sweet potato right into the egg bite recipe
Now, a few tips for this recipe before we get into the fun part. I just want to make sure these turn out for you!
I like blending my eggs, cottage cheese, and cheese together - this makes the egg bites much creamier. If you don't have a blender, you can definitely just whisk them aggressively by hand instead.
Pour the final egg & veggie mixture into a "pourable container" - your blender would work great, or you can put the mixture into a juice jug or Pyrex measuring container. This will make it much easier to accurately pour the egg mixture into the muffin tins.
Grease your muffin tins well, OR you can use those silicone muffin cups (I got mine from IKEA! A great reusable option.)
Let the egg bites cool COMPLETELY before putting them into an airtight container in the fridge. This will help ensure minimal condensation.
*You are looking for ~1-1.5 cups of total diced vegetables in your recipe. So you can replace the vegetables below with whatever preferred veggie you like, as long as you have a total of ~1-1.5 cups diced.
Okay enough of that! Let's get into the recipe. Here is what you’ll need:
Makes: 12 egg bites
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
8 eggs
3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
2/3 cup of 2-4% cottage cheese
1/4 cup diced tomatoes* (see tips above)
1/4 cup diced bell peppers*
1/2 cup diced spinach*
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
Dash of hot sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dice all preferred vegetables.
Blend together: eggs, cheese, and cottage cheese (you can also just whisk these ingredients in a large bowl, but blending them makes them extra creamy. Also being in the blender makes it easy to pour into muffin tins.)
Add diced veggies to the blender with the egg & cheese mixture. Pulse once or twice to combine.
Grease 12 muffin tins with oil and pour egg mixture evenly into each muffin tin.
Place in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until the egg is fully cooked and doesn’t jiggle. (Cook time will vary depending on the size of the muffin tin and oven)
Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, remove egg bites from the muffin tin.
Enjoy fresh, or store in the fridge for 3-5 days.