MMMM ... BAKED MUFFIN FRITTATAS
I recently became obsessed with these little crustless quiches.
A few tips: first, make sure that your vegetables are sautéed before filling the muffin tins, and any meat such as sausage and bacon is cooked. The short baking time will melt the cheese and set the eggs but not cook any of your add-ins. Since there is no crust to make, these are perfect egg bites for anyone who is watching their carbs or is gluten sensitive. But the real reason to make them is that they taste great.
These “egg muffins” are perfect for entertaining and any leftovers turn a grab-and-go breakfast into a treat. In fact, I sometimes make them just to have on hand for quick weekday breakfasts.
My favourite version so far includes asparagus, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and brie as I’ve included in this recipe. I add pimentos and green onions for flavour and colour.
Baked Muffin Frittatas with Asparagus and Mushrooms MAKES 12 SERVINGS
10 eggs ¼ cup cream ½ teaspoon sea salt Pinch of nutmeg Butter or olive oil to coat pans 1 cup asparagus, chopped 1 heaping cup thinly sliced mushrooms 2 tablespoons butter ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion ¼ cup chopped pimentos 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ½ pound brie cheese, cut into 12 pieces
Start to finish: 40 minutes Preheat the oven to 350 F. Crack eggs into a liquid measuring cup. Whisk the eggs, cream, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
Melt butter in a sauté pan and add asparagus and mushrooms and cook for about five minutes or until beginning to soften but the asparagus is still bright green.
Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with olive oil. Divide asparagus, mushrooms, green onion and cheese between each muffin cup, then carefully pour egg mixture over tops until muffin tins are almost full (leave ¼-inch space).
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
The egg muffins will look like a soufflé when they come out of the oven, but they will fall after a few minutes. Let them rest in the muffin tin for a few minutes before using a rubber spatula to carefully remove each muffin. Place on a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes to let the steam dissipate.
Enjoy immediately or let cool and transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag.
Refrigerate for up to three days. They can be eaten cold or reheated in a microwave.
Per serving: 199 calories (144 from fat); 16 grams fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 220 milligrams cholesterol; 336 mg sodium; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g fibre; 1 g sugar; 12 g protein.