Protein Boosted Egg Bites

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Egg Bites, mini fritatas, egg cups . . . call them what you like, but these little grab-and-go delights have become an essential staple in our house! Everyone who’s tried them says they’re much better than Starbucks . . . but don’t take my word for it . . . try them yourself!

With a fantastic egg and cottage cheese based recipe and endless possibilities for mix-ins, I’ve been making a batch of these every weekend and freezing them for super easy, high-protein breakfasts and snacks during the week.

I like prepping my mix-ins first to ensure they have time to cool. I don’t even measure these – just gather up whatever strikes your fancy! Then, I spray a medium-sized muffin pan (to make 1 dozen) with EVOO and evenly divide the mix-ins into the prepared pan. Here are a few combos that I’ve tried and loved. You really can’t go wrong!

• Broccoli Cheddar
  • You’ll want to steam a bit of broccoli and then chop it up and let it cool before you mix in your shredded cheddar cheese.
• Sun-Dried Tomato, Fresh Spinach, and Basil with Parmesan
  • This is an easy one because you don’t have to pre-cook any of your mix-ins.
  • Chiffonade the Spinach and Basil (make a stack of the leaves, then slice into thin ribbon-like strips).
  • Chop up the sun-dried tomatoes and add the parmesan.
• Sausage, Diced Green Chilies, and Monterey Jack Cheese
  • You’ll need to brown and crumble your sausage. Drain it and let it cool.
  • Add in a 4 oz can of mild diced green chilies and stir in your grated cheese.
• Grated Sweet Potato with Bacon and Diced Red Bell Pepper
  • Slice your bacon into small, thin strips, brown it, drain it, and cool it.
  • Saute your grated sweet potato and red bell peppers in a little EVOO with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and Italian Seasoning.

The secret to delicious Egg Bites?
Well-seasoned Mix-Ins!

For the Egg Bites featured in today’s photos, I used:

• Fresh Button Mushrooms
• Green Onion
• Shredded Hash Browns (just potatoes!)
• Fresh Spinach White Cheddar Cheese.

The Egg Portion is super easy and allows for great flexibility in flavors. To a blender, you’ll add eggs, cottage cheese, a pinch of salt, black pepper. (see recipe below) Sometimes, I add a pinch of onion powder and Italian seasoning. Blend them until the cottage cheese is chunk-free (ha!) and the mixture is a bit frothy.

Baking Instructions

If you want the finished egg bites to be sous-vide style (like Starbucks):

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Prepare a Bain Marie: Place a pan on the bottom rack of your oven, then add boiling water to fill it halfway. This will create a steam effect inside your oven to keep your egg cups moist and fluffy.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the egg cups spring back when pressed.

If you want the finished egg bites to be fritata-style (a little browner and crispier, like in today’s photos):

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly browned and the egg cups spring back when pressed.

If you want to freeze your egg cups right away, cool them completely in the pan, and then pop them out. I lay a piece of parchment paper onto a plate or small tray, then place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Once they’re frozen, you can put them into a freezer bag or container, and they’ll last for up to three months.

My favorite way to reheat these egg bites for crispy fritata style:

• microwave for 60-90 seconds and THEN . . .
• Put them on a small piece of parchment and cook them in the air fryer (preheated to 350) for 3 – 5 minutes.
• Sooo Good!

I’d love to hear how you like these Egg Bites! If you come up with some interesting mix-in ideas, let us all know in the Comments!

Have a Wonderful Day, Friends, and I’ll see you back here on Thursday!