A couple months back I made some egg nests which were really popular. People seemed to like having muffin sized breakfast bites or the idea of breakfast on the go. But for those watching their calories, hash browns aren’t too forgiving and some folks just don’t like runny eggs. So today I’ll be making a scrambled egg variation of this sans hash browns and with a little spinach and smoked paprika.
Think of these muffins as a healthy variation of my nests.
I only had large eggs, which is typically how I buy my eggs so the measurements I’ve jotted down are for those. If you’re using regular size eggs, add an egg or two. I loved using fresh spinach leaves but make sure to chop them up so they distribute evenly.
It’s all pretty simple. Think of a reinvented way of enjoying an omelet. All the stuff you like in your omelet in a muffin form instead. My fillings are a general guideline so feel free to add whatever you like. Bell peppers, onions, ham, mushrooms…whatever you’re stomach desires.
And there’s cheese! If you want more cheese, top the eggs with some shredded Parmesan for a crunchy cheesy top. There was much confusion with the egg nests about what kind of muffin pan I used. I actually didn’t know mini and jumbo muffin pans existed until people asked! So for the record, I only have regular muffin pans. You could make them jumbo but you’ll have to adjust the measurements of the eggs, bacon, spinach and cheese accordingly. Shouldn’t be too hard though. This recipe is very forgiving!
Bake it for 20-23 minutes depending on your oven or until a knife comes out clean in the middle. And don’t forget to grease those muffin pans! You’ll find a little surpise waiting for you when you take it out of the oven. They will puff up and rise, almost majestically. And then they will shrink back to a normal size once they cool down. Sadness! I was pretty excited at the puffed up version.
They should come out of the muffin pans super easy. Serve it as is or with your favorite toppings: cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce is a couple of things I can think off the top of my head. That’s about it!
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On-The-Go Breakfast Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 12 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped / 1/2 cup bacon bits
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients and whisk until smooth
- Grease a regular size muffin tin and fill each cup about 2/3 of the way full
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-23 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean
- Cool for 5 minutes before prying muffins loose
- Dish and serve hot
43 Comments
Annie @ ciaochowbambina
December 17, 2014 at 9:25 AMThese are a perfect on-the-go breakfast…and I love the addition of the spinach and paprika! Don’t you just love that moment when they stand tall and puffed?
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
December 17, 2014 at 5:52 PMOh yeah, I was so proud of them all puffed up like that! When they deflated, I deflated haha 🙂
Vicki
October 13, 2018 at 1:25 PMI love this recipe. I make many variations, bacon, ham, sausage (pre-cooked), all different veggies (steamed), and cheese. When I visit my Dad, I make these with different soups and put in the freezer. He loves them and it’s easy for him to warm up. Plus I know he is getting a good healthy breakfast.
The Cooking Jar
October 22, 2018 at 4:27 PMWow, I didn’t know they work with soups too! I’m so glad you found a base recipe to build an empire of breakfast egg muffins on!
Muna Kenny
December 17, 2014 at 12:38 PMBreakfast on the go is just what I need! These muffins are gorgeous and look delicious. I will need at least four 🙂
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
December 17, 2014 at 5:53 PMAnd four you shall have!
Priyanka
December 18, 2014 at 6:31 AMHey! These looks super-duper cute!! My husband is an avid egg-lover and he will just freak out on them! 😀
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
December 20, 2014 at 4:56 PMHope he likes this version, Priyanka!
Dorothy May Bell
December 19, 2014 at 1:37 AMFantastic Thank you
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
December 20, 2014 at 4:56 PMYou’re very welcome, Dorothy! Enjoy 🙂
Laura
December 20, 2014 at 3:54 PMHas anyone tried making these ahead of time and heating in the morning?
The Cooking Jar
December 20, 2014 at 5:28 PMI’ve reheated them the next day in the microwave and they’re fine, just a little rubbery. The more the eggs cook past the done stage, the more rubbery they get so I guess adding in the extra reheating time will do that. I reheated mine for about a minute and a half. Hope this helps, Laura!
Kathy
January 10, 2015 at 11:58 AMI have warmed similar egg based muffins before but I put them in a toaster oven at 300 degrees on a small baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil laid over them loosly for 15 minutes. They come out oven fresh. I put them in while I am getting ready of the morning. Enjoy!
The Cooking Jar
January 10, 2015 at 1:50 PMThanks for chiming in, Kathy!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
December 22, 2014 at 2:50 AMMy mornings usually begin with a fresh juice and breakfast muffin or cookie.. so these savoury muffins are definitely one I will be making, and hopefully be adding to my repertoire!
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
December 27, 2014 at 8:06 PMSounds like a good breakfast to me! 🙂
Ro
December 29, 2014 at 2:17 PMDo you cook the bacon first then crumble into the mixture or do you add raw to bake in the oven? Thanks for a great looking recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
The Cooking Jar
December 29, 2014 at 2:49 PMI cooked it first and chopped it up to little bits. Or if you want to save time you can always use store bought bacon bits. Happy eating!
Mary Ann
July 11, 2015 at 11:44 PMJust made these tonight. They’re great! But – should you cook the bacon first? Didn’t add salt, with the bacon bits and cheese already in it. Will add onions next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
July 12, 2015 at 2:05 PMYes, you should absolutely cook the bacon first! Sorry for the misunderstanding. When I list bacon bits in my recipe I mean cooked bacon diced up into little bacon bits. You can either cook and dice them yourself or buy pre-made bacon bits from the store. Thanks for trying this recipe out, Mary Ann!
The Cooking Jar
July 12, 2015 at 2:08 PMPS: I’ve updated the recipe for the bacon to be cooked to avoid any confusion. Thanks for pointing it out! 🙂
Krista Taylor
July 31, 2015 at 9:47 PMDo these keep for a few days? Do they freeze and unthaw ok?
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
August 1, 2015 at 6:46 PMThey kept for a couple of days for us, about 2-3 days is the max I would go before I get uncomfortable with it sitting in the fridge for too long. I never froze them so I can’t honestly say much about it. As for freezing them safely, here’s a guide from FoodSafety.gov about freezing eggs in all forms. I would say to go with ‘Quiche with filling’ for this chart. Hope this helps answer your question!
Lin W.
August 2, 2015 at 1:29 PMJust made these for the first time, and they turned out great! I was a bit nervous, since I’m definitely not the chef of the household, but I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out delicious. Very easy and cooking-newbie-proof.
The Cooking Jar
August 5, 2015 at 3:24 PM“Cooking-newbie-proof”. I love it! That’s exactly what I try to do, making things approachable for new home cooks as much as I can. We’re all learning 🙂 Thanks for the feedback, Lin.
Janay
October 8, 2015 at 3:48 PMI want to make these for a crowd. But I’m trying to decide if I want to do this recipe or the hashbrown breakfast nest, I’m not a runny egg person so I like the idea of this one. Do you think I can add the hashbrowns?
The Cooking Jar
October 12, 2015 at 9:03 AMSorry for the delay, Janay! I’m still on vacation but I’m trying to reply as I go. I suggest following the instructions and timing for the hash brown crust in that recipe – blind baking them first to get them nice and primed, then switch to this recipe for the filling with the scrambled mixture. Use the time in this recipe to have your eggs set nicely in the hash brown crust. If the hash brown crust starts to brown too much since it’s a longer baking time, you can cover the crust with foil to protect them but I don’t think this will happen. Good luck!
Lisa
December 4, 2015 at 7:33 AMHi Farah, I was wondering if you have any quick, high calorie (that’s not a typo, “high” as in lots of calories, 200+) breakfast on the go, lunch, and snack revipes. I am first year law school student and spend lots of time with me, myself, and I outside of class time. Unfortunately, I’ve picked up the bad practice of skipping meals. I try to make meals on the weekends and need something calorie-packed, portable, for my teen daughter and I to eat for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. P.S. we eat just about anything .
Your recommendations are appreciated.
The Cooking Jar
December 7, 2015 at 2:17 PMHeya Lisa! I just sent you an email with my recommendations. Hope some of them will work for you and your daughter. Good luck with your studies. I did law for two years way back when. It can be stressful!
Danielle
January 31, 2016 at 11:36 PMHow long would these last in the fridge? You call them ‘On-The’Go’ so i assume you would be cooking these the night before and stocking up for a few days?
The Cooking Jar
February 1, 2016 at 2:04 PMI would say 1-2 days. 3 days would be pushing it, I think. So make enough to last you a couple of days per person. Hope this helps!
Elaine Eshom
December 28, 2016 at 1:46 PMI’ve made various versions of this recipe and they’re always great. I use leftover ham, potatoes, beef or veggies sometimes. Basically anything you’d put into an omelette works. In addition, you can use a quarter of a flour tortilla as a liner, put you veggies and meat in the bottom, then pour in your egg mixture, and top with extra cheese and sprinkle with paprika.
The Cooking Jar
February 20, 2017 at 10:42 AMGreat way to put it, Elaine. “Anything you would put into an omelette works”. Couldn’t have said it better myself! Also, that tortilla liner idea is wonderful. Especially with the crunch factor!
Sandy
January 19, 2017 at 5:28 PMWell I made them, looked good tasted good, lost all my bottoms. I sprayed the muffin pan with Pam cooking spray, and everyone was cooked good, but the bottom would not come off the pan. Oh well live to try another day.
5 stars for the recipe, but 3 because it would not come out, that is not on her, grease it really, really good.
★★★
The Cooking Jar
February 20, 2017 at 10:46 AMOh, I’m sorry you lost your bottoms! Did you give it enough time to cool down first before prying them out? That usually helps. They need some breathing time to solidify after baking in the oven is the way I like to think of it as. Also having a non-stick muffin pan helps.
Rhonda Pierce
March 21, 2018 at 7:38 PMDo these do well as a make ahead? That I can grab from the fridge and microwave? Or are they only good fresh?
The Cooking Jar
April 27, 2018 at 4:28 PMThey do. They’re better fresh though. I’ve made these and reheated them in the microwave for the next two days if I remember correctly. Two days was as long as I dared though. I’m freakishly squeamish about keeping egg related stuff out there too long.