Make-Ahead Breakfast

 

I am thinking about how many days I'll be away when I head out this weekend to babysit the granddaughters. When I go, I always try to leave some cooked foods in the freezer for Daddy-O to make it easier for him to have a meal. Sometimes my freezer stash includes muffins that he can have for breakfast.

But the last time I was out visiting, the mother of Big Sister's good friend was telling about making "egg muffins" to put in her freezer. She said her family loved them. And she liked to keep them on hand because it was so easy for her daughters to grab a couple and zap them in the microwave for an on-the-go breakfast.

She sent the recipe yesterday. It's one I have looked at for years but never made. It's the Vegetable Quiche Cups to Go from the South Beach cookbook. (Not sure why the photo has these little quiches in crust--it's a crustless recipe.)

I made them this morning with some slight variation. I didn't have Egg Beaters or reduced-fat cheese here. So if you are truly wanting low-fat or lower calorie, you'll need to look at the original recipe. I also added one more egg than the Egg Beaters-to-egg equivalent. Three eggs just didn't look like enough.

Warm from the oven, these are delicious. I'm trusting Megan's mom that they are also good from the freezer. Just be sure the peel off the foil cups before microwaving.

VEGETABLE QUICHE CUPS

1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup finely diced green or red pepper
a few grinds of black pepper

Microwave the spinach for 2-1/2 minutes on HIGH. Squeeze out the excess liquid.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the liners with PAM.

Combine eggs, spinach, cheese, onion, green peppers, and black pepper. Mix well. Divide evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

May be frozen and reheated in the microwave. (Remove the foil cups)  Can use any combination of appropriate vegetables.

Daddy-O's verdict? In true Mr.-Meat-and-Potatoes fashion he said, "It's good. But it would be better with less spinach." If you decide that you like this idea, Google can provide many versions of these "freezer egg muffins" to try. Some include other vegetables or sausage or ham or bacon. I'll make one of those versions next time for Daddy-O. One with meat, for sure.