I got the dreaded text the other day from The Mister. "I think I'm all hardboiled egged out for breakfast at work..."
Hardboiled eggs are fast, protein packed, cheap, and easy to have on hand for breakfast. In the last couple of months, they've become my go-t0 standard on the to-go breakfast, especially for The Mister, who usually eats his breakfast during the morning commute. And they make for great quick lunches when you live your life in one hour increment of errands and pick-ups and drop offs of the little people. Egg salad, anyone?
So you can imagine my panic, as I stared down at the text, wondering what to do. I'm the person who preps and packs any and all breakfasts to go and lunch the night before because the morning scene at my house consists of "I'm still so tired!" whinings, mismatched socks, untamable bedhead, and the comforting sounds of coffee grinding. That last part gives me the fuzzies because hellooooooo coffee!
Most of you know of my love for eggs by now. On the weekends, and whenever there is time more elaborate brunch foods, I dive into breakfast enchiladas or skillet spicy eggs and potatoes. Have you tried them? I can't wait for you to tell me good they are! But on this cold, cold day, where I couldn't fall back on my version of variety I went to one of my classics: breakfast egg muffins. Who can say no to muffins?
An equally portable, protein packed, nutritious and delicious make ahead breakfast egg muffins. Filled with my homemade italian chicken sausage in every bite, tender potatoes, and fresh herbs, these eggs are no ordinary on-the-go egg breakfast. They have tremendous staying power, are cute and hand held, and dare I say, easily kid-friendly. My kids only heard the words muffins and went to town as I put the muffins on their plates. Never mind they were savory or good for you, they only cared about the muffin part.
I made mine paleo and whole30 compliant but these muffins are a blank canvas for almost every savory add-in possible. I omitted the cheese but if you want indulgent, commit to the cheese. Or if you don't care for the meat, simply leave the chicken out and replace (or not) with sliced mushrooms to add bulk. Here are so other ideas:
- diced onions, bell peppers, mushroom, and pepper jack cheese
- green onions, yellow onion, shredded carrots, and bok choy
- tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and american cheese
- chorizo and green onion
I'm partial to the potato, my homemade italian chicken sausage, and herb combo because the flavor and texture are the perfect wake-up call to these cold, cold December mornings, where I can have my beloved carbs but still get the benefits of eggs. Or make them in advance if you're planning on travelling during the holiday season so you have breakfast ready to go when you're out and about. I've also been one in my mouth as a post-workout snack.
These muffins will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in the fridge. IF they last that long. I can easily whip up 4 dozen and have that finish within days in my house full of egg and muffin eaters. I haven't tried to freeze them but I suspect they'd have a blast, hanging out in the freezer. Just wrap the muffin in a paper towel to soak up any water release when they're heating up.
The muffins rise beautifully as they cook and will fall when cooling- totally normal. You want to avoid overcooking eggs to prevent a rubbery texture; all you want to do is cook the eggs until just set, which for me meant 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. When making these egg muffins, grease the individual muffins tins generously; use your hands if you need to and make sure the entire surface is covered with oil/butter/fat because that'll allow the muffins to pop right out of the cups when they cool. The first time I made them, I didn't grease the pan enough. I was scraping stuck-on egg bits for 2 days. Never again! I would think that using muffin pan liners would work just as well but I haven't actually used it yet. If you do end up using them, I'd love to know how it turns out for you!
You can even get fancy with the muffins and serve with a sauce top like the roasted verde sauce from these enchiladas. Make massive amounts and often! Or top with chopped tomatoes and red onions for added color. Or just do like I do and pop one in your mouth as you run around, chasing a two year old who likes to steal my kitchen towels.
Make Ahead Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 24 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp olive oil plus more to grease muffin pans
- 1 lb italian chicken sausage
- 3 medium yellow potatoes, skin on, diced
- 5 sundried tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1tbsp chives
- ¼ cup basil leaves, cut into ribbons
- 14 whole eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenhiet and grease 2 12-cup muffin pans liberally.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet, over medium to high heat. Add potatoes and saute for 3-4 minutes, until potatoes start to develop a golden brown crust. Add salt, pepper, and paprika and cook until potatoes become soft.
- Once the potatoes become tender, add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute, until garlic becomes fragrant and onions become translucent. Stir in chicken sausage, breaking the meat up evenly into the potatoes. Remove from heat and stir in thyme and chives. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs together. Fold in potato and chicken sausage mixture until fully incorporated. Gently mix in basil ribbons.
- Divide the egg mixture into the muffin pan cups evenly and bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are just set and cooked.
- Remove from oven and cool before removing the muffins from the pan. Store tightly covered in the fridge up to 5 days.
- TO REHEAT: Heat wrapped in a paper towel for 30-45 seconds, until eggs are desired temperature.
Rj says
Made this for my family, they loved it! We especially loved the chicken sausage!
Sadiya says
The chicken ones are my favorite too- glad your family enjoyed them!