About the Recipe
Another weekly staple in my home are these high protein egg bites! Fluffy, creamy, and so flavourful, these egg bites are the perfect grab-and-go item for breakfasts and snacks. The cottage cheese and egg whites help boost the protein content to help keep you satisfied for longer. Store these in the fridge for the work week and snack on them cold or pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds for a perfectly warmed bite (my preference).
Ingredients
8 large eggs
2/3 cup of egg whites
1/2 large onion finely diced. I prefer to use a white or yellow onion
Approx. 2/3 cup of finely diced bell pepper (I like using red or yellow)
1 cup cottage cheese, blended until smooth and creamy
2 tbsp. 2% milk
1 cup diced meat of your choosing. I like using spiral ham
1 cup grated cheese. I like old white cheddar
1 tsp. of salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
Optional: For a slightly creamier and denser texture, add in 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt and add an extra 1/3 cup of egg whites or 1 more large egg. This will ensure the ratio in the mixure is maintained for proper solidification during baking.
Tip: You can choose to add in whichever veggies you prefer and canmake these vegetarian by forgoing meat. These egg bites are so versatile - Just ensure you sautee your veggies first or they may release too much moisture and throw off the texture of the egg bite.
Preparation
Pre-heat your oven to 350F and lightly (like, SUPER light, we don't want the egg bites to drown) grease your muffin tray with butter or oil. If you prefer, these can also be made in silicone muffin trays. I prefer to use a non-stick muffin tray with olive oil.
Finely dice the onion, bell pepper, and any other veggies of your choosing.
Sautee the veggies all together until the onions are very soft and translucent and the bell peppers are soft. If you are adding a leafy green such as spinach, add it in closer to the onions and peppers being done so it is not over-cooked and mushy. If your meat of choice is already cooked and diced, toss it in the pan to warm it up with the veggies.
While the veggies are cooking, blend the cottage cheese with the milk until it is smooth and creamy but still thick. This can be done with either a blender (I use my Vitamix) or an immersion blender works well too. If you don't have a blender, you can still add the cottage cheese in, however, the texture may not be as fluffy and may have pockets of creaminess.
Combine the eggs, egg whites, blended milk / cottage cheese mixture, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a large bowl and whisk together until everything is well combined and little bubbles form on the top of the mixture. I prefer to use my stand mixer on medium-high setting and let it go for 2-3 minutes. This can also be done with a hand mixer though or a whisk and some elbow grease.
Once your veggies & meat are done, portion the mixture evenly into the muffin tray.
Evenly distrubute your egg mixture into the muffin tray. I reccommend giving it a quick whisk right before pouring it to ensure all the spices are mixed well in case the mixture has sat for a few minutes.
Evenly distrubute the shredded cheese among the 12 egg bites. Gently mix the cheese (I like to use a chopstick) into the egg mixture. Make sure you get to the bottom of the muffin tray so the meat and veggies get incorporated as well.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. The bake time may vary depending on the material and thickness of your muffin tray. I like to test if they are done by using the jiggle test- if they still jiggle on top, they need more time. I also check with a toothpick and if it comes out dry, they are typically done. If some moisture comes out of the toothpick hole, bake for a few more minutes.
Once the bites are done baking, immediately transfer to a cooling rack so the egg bites don't dry out. I tend to use a butter knife to loosen the edges of each bite and then scoop under each one with a spoon to transfer to the cooling rack without burning my fingers off.
These store well in the fridge in an air-tight container for 5-6 days. I haven't tried freezing these but if you do, let me know how it works out!