BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
These are the perfect, high-protein breakfast muffins for busy, back-to-school mornings. The beauty is that you can make these ahead of time, and have them all week to give yourself a few extra minutes in the morning that you so desperately need.
Ingredients
1 cup lightly packed baby spinach chopped
¾ cup finely diced red bell pepper, about 1 small pepper
¾ cup finely diced hatch green chile (if you don’t like spice, you can swap this with a green bell pepper)
¾ cup quartered cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, about 1
cup whole tomatoes
6 large eggs
2/3 cup cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch ground black pepper
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese plus additional to sprinkle on top
Directions
Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Divide the spinach, red bell pepper, green chilies, and tomatoes among the cups (they will be about two-thirds of the way full).
In a large bowl or large measuring cup with a spout (my favorite because it makes the mixture easy to pour), briskly whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, salt, basil, oregano, and pepper until well combined. Carefully fill each muffin cup three-quarters of the way to the top with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the feta evenly over the tops of the cups.
Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until the egg muffins are set. Let cool for a few minutes, and then run a butter knife around the edges of each muffin to loosen it. Remove them from the pan and enjoy immediately, or let cool on a wire rack and refrigerate or freeze for later. To store in the refrigerator: let the muffins cool completely, then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can store all of the muffins together in a single larger container or portion them into individual containers to take with you on the go. To freeze, let the muffins cool completely, then individually wrap them in plastic wrap. Place them in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat directly from frozen. Enjoy!