A Muffin Tin Breakfast I Actually Like Getting Up For
Alright, so let me just say—I never thought I'd be the kind of person who preps breakfast ahead. Mornings at my place are mostly a blur of mismatched socks and near-missed buses (don’t ask about the time I made my coffee with orange juice, it was a dark Monday). But, these Easy Make-Ahead Scrambled Egg Breakfast Muffins? Absolute game changer. It all started when my elderly neighbor dropped off her mountain of muffin tins and insisted I "make something eggy for the freezer, dear!" Now, they're a staple around here. And yes, I've eaten them for dinner more than once. Zero regret.
Why I Keep Making Scrambled Egg Muffins (Even When No One's Looking)
I make this recipe when I know the next morning will be chaos and I want to feel weirdly victorious before noon. My family goes wild for them because you can pick them up and eat them with one hand (while holding a half-asleep toddler in the other, or in my dad's case, his crossword). Plus, you can throw in whatever you have lurking in your fridge—seriously, I've used broccoli, leftover ham, even a handful of crushed tortilla chips in a pinch (not my finest moment, but edible!). And they hold up in the freezer, so if you ever dream of those tidy mornings you see in ads, well... This recipe gets close. Raisin toast’s got nothing on these muffins.
What You Need (Or, What I Usually Find in My Fridge)
- 8 large eggs (free range, store brand, whatever’s in the fridge)
- ⅓ cup milk (sometimes I use half-and-half for a splurge, grandma used to swear by it)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (any cheese works; I’ve tried mozzarella and even feta—it’s all good)
- 1 cup cooked chopped veggies (bell peppers, spinach, or mushrooms—I’ve even used last night’s roasted carrots, don’t tell my kids!)
- ½ cup cooked bacon or sausage, crumbled (skip for veggie version or swap with chopped deli turkey if you want to feel "healthy")
- ¼ teaspoon salt (some days I just eyeball it, but let’s be official)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (you do you, but I go heavy-handed sometimes)
- 2 green onions, finely sliced (optional, but I love the little green flecks)
How I Throw These Together (Most Days)
- First things first—preheat your oven to 350°F (that’s about 175°C). Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Or just use paper liners if you don’t wanna scrub, which I never do.
- Crack the eggs into a big mixing bowl. Toss in the milk, salt, and black pepper. Give it all a good whisk until it kinda looks like sunshine in a bowl (or until you’re too impatient to whisk anymore, which, honestly, is my usual approach).
- This is where I stir in the cheese, veggies, bacon or sausage, and green onions. I tend to taste a bit here (perks of being the cook—just don’t eat it all now!).
- Pour the mixture as evenly as you can into your greased muffin cups. If you’re like me, it’ll end up a bit sloshy and uneven—no stress, they all bake up fine in the end.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are puffy and just set. Don’t panic if a couple look a bit brown around the edges. That’s the sweet spot for my taste.
- Let them cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Then run a butter knife around the edges and pop them out gently. This part can get a bit fiddly, but even if one sticks and falls apart—it’s still delicious. Trust me.
A Few Notes (Based on Me Fumbling My Way Here)
- If you overfill the muffin cups, prepare yourself for a mini-omelette volcano. I did this twice. It’s not the end of the world, just messier!
- Actually, I think these taste even better the next day. Reheat and suddenly you’re a breakfast genius.
- Mix-ins are totally up to you; don’t stress. I once used pepper jack cheese and black beans—everyone survived, most came back for seconds.
What Else You Can Pop in (Or shouldn’t...)
- I’ve swapped out bacon for chopped smoked turkey—works great.
- Extra spinach? It wilts down so much you barely notice it, but hey, that’s green stuff in breakfast, right?
- I do not recommend raw zucchini unless you love mushy muffins. Tried it once; nope. Roasted first is fine though.
What If I Don’t Have a Muffin Tin?
Muffin tin is great and all, but if you’re stuck, you can use a silicone cupcake tray or even pour the mixture into a baking dish and slice into squares. It’s not quite the same, but it tastes like breakfast, so you’re winning.
Storing and Freezing (But There’s Rarely Leftovers)
You can keep these in the fridge for about 3 days, tightly covered. To freeze, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap, toss ‘em in a freezer bag, and freeze up to 2 months. But honestly, in my house they never last more than a day—unless I hide them behind the bag of frozen peas!
How We Serve These (Just a Peek into My Mornings)
Honestly, I just grab one and eat it cold half the time—but they’re brill with hot sauce or ketchup if you want to be fancy. Sometimes I’ll slice one onto buttered toast, smash on some avocado, and pretend it’s brunch. My kids put theirs in a tortilla wrap with salsa and claim it’s a “breakfast taco.” That works, too.
Some Pro Tips—Mostly From Mistakes
- I once tried rushing these by cranking the oven up to 400°F—bad move, rubbery eggs. Stick to 350°F, trust me.
- If you’re using watery veggies (like mushrooms or spinach), sauté them first so you don’t get soggy muffins. Learned that the hard way, more than once.
Breakfast-Muffin FAQ: Things Folks Actually Ask Me
Can I make this dairy free? Sure thing! Use a splash of oat or almond milk, skip the cheese, maybe add more veggies.
What’s the texture like after freezing? After a quick zap in the microwave (about 40 seconds from frozen), it’s pretty close to fresh. Maybe a teensy bit softer, but nobody here complains.
Do you really need liners? I say yes if you hate scrubbing pans. But, no, not strictly required—just grease well and be ready to soak that tin later.
Can I double the recipe? Absolutely, but you’ll need an extra muffin tin or two! Or make one ginormous breakfast bake and cut it into slabs. I’ve done both.
Is this a healthy breakfast? Well, depends on your fillings and your definition of healthy. I think they’re a great way to wrangle in a few veggies at 7 a.m., and frankly, it beats donuts every morning. Probably.
Oh, and totally unrelated (kind of?), but these make a pretty good last-minute packed lunch, too. Just sayin’—I’ve even thrown one in my bag as a snack and found it still tasty hours later.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs (free range, store brand, whatever’s in the fridge)
- ⅓ cup milk (sometimes I use half-and-half for a splurge, grandma used to swear by it)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (any cheese works; I’ve tried mozzarella and even feta—it’s all good)
- 1 cup cooked chopped veggies (bell peppers, spinach, or mushrooms—I’ve even used last night’s roasted carrots, don’t tell my kids!)
- ½ cup cooked bacon or sausage, crumbled (skip for veggie version or swap with chopped deli turkey if you want to feel "healthy")
- ¼ teaspoon salt (some days I just eyeball it, but let’s be official)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (you do you, but I go heavy-handed sometimes)
- 2 green onions, finely sliced (optional, but I love the little green flecks)
Instructions
-
1First things first—preheat your oven to 350°F (that’s about 175°C). Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Or just use paper liners if you don’t wanna scrub, which I never do.
-
2Crack the eggs into a big mixing bowl. Toss in the milk, salt, and black pepper. Give it all a good whisk until it kinda looks like sunshine in a bowl (or until you’re too impatient to whisk anymore, which, honestly, is my usual approach).
-
3This is where I stir in the cheese, veggies, bacon or sausage, and green onions. I tend to taste a bit here (perks of being the cook—just don’t eat it all now!).
-
4Pour the mixture as evenly as you can into your greased muffin cups. If you’re like me, it’ll end up a bit sloshy and uneven—no stress, they all bake up fine in the end.
-
5Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are puffy and just set. Don’t panic if a couple look a bit brown around the edges. That’s the sweet spot for my taste.
-
6Let them cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Then run a butter knife around the edges and pop them out gently. This part can get a bit fiddly, but even if one sticks and falls apart—it’s still delicious. Trust me.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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