This grab-and-go recipe for Mini Egg Bites with Broccoli and Cheddar is perfect if you find yourself constantly short on time for breakfast. They are a simple vegetable-packed breakfast that is perfect for meal prep.
Weekday breakfasts in our house are often hectic. We are always racing to get the girls ready first thing in the morning and out the door with full bellies. That is why we love any breakfast recipe that can be made ahead and enjoyed throughout the week. Whether it is a baked oatmeal, like our Chocolate Baked Oatmeal or our Peanut Butter and Jam Baked Oatmeal, or granola like our favorite Peanut Butter Granola, I love meal prepping on Sunday and not having to worry about breakfast throughout the week.
Mini egg bites certainly work well for our busy weekday breakfasts and one of my favorite ways to make them is with chopped broccoli and shredded cheddar cheese. There is just enough flavor here for the grown-ups to enjoy them while not so "different" that are kids will actually enjoy them as well. The egg bites are packed with protein and veggies, plus gooey cheese.
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Ingredients that Matter
This recipe uses basic ingredients you may already have on hand. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Broccoli. I recommend using a medium head of broccoli, but you can also use frozen broccoli. You want about 8 ounces of broccoli, or 4 cups of florets. Be sure to dry them well after par-cooking to avoid the egg bites getting too wet.
- Eggs. I recommend using fresh large eggs for this recipe.
- Cheddar. You will want 2 ½ ounces, or 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Feel free to use sharp or mild, depending on your preferences. I recommend grating your own cheese to ensure it's super fresh, plus it won't be coated in an anti-caking agent like pre-shredded cheese.
- Milk. Adding a splash of whole milk helps the egg bites stay light and fluffy. Here you can also use half and half, heavy cream, sour cream, ricotta or even cottage cheese.
- Salt and Pepper. Since I'm often making food for my young daughters, I want to ensure they'll actually eat it! That means I go easy on the flavor additions to this recipe. Just simple salt and pepper is plenty, but I'll include suggested additions below.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe is all about assembly and there is very little cooking involved. Here is how the recipe comes together:
Start by cutting the broccoli head into small florets then steam until just tender, about 4 minutes on the stove top or 1 minute (covered with plastic wrap or a plate) in the microwave. Cool slightly then chop well. Dry the broccoli with paper towels to prevent soggy egg bites.
Preheat the oven to 350F and generously spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray (even if using silicone, as shown in the image above). You can also use mini muffin pan liners to ensure the egg bites won't stick. Divide the shredded cheese and chopped broccoli evenly in the muffin pan.
Whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth. Add salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
Pour the egg mixture in each muffin cup allowing the egg to come all the way to the top. Note: the egg bites will puff when cooked but will deflate as they cool.
Bake the egg bites (I recommend placing the muffin pan on a baking sheet if it is flimsy) until puffy and just set, about 15 minutes. Try not to overcook the egg bites or they may get rubbery. They are done when they puff and are no longer jiggly.
Cool the egg bites for about 5 minutes then use a mini offset spatula to remove the bites to a plate. Serve hot or room temperature.
Hint: Depending on the size of your mini muffin pan, you may have leftover egg base. You can either bake more egg bites or use it for a quick omelet.
Substitutions
This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian. Beyond that, there are plenty of options to make tweaks to this recipe based on your preferences. Here are some suggested substitutions:
- Frozen Broccoli - If you want to use frozen broccoli for this recipe, try to find packages of 10-12 ounces. If it's a full 16 ounce package, I recommend using half. Cool the frozen broccoli until just tender (do not over cook) and be sure to dry well with paper towels.
- Cheese - If you aren't a fan of cheddar cheese, try using Monterey jack, American, Jarlsberg, parmesan or your favorite cheese. You really can't go wrong with any cheese here.
- Flavorings - You can enhance these egg bites by adding ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Or try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat or even chili powder.
- Milk - You can use any type of milk you prefer, low-fat, plant-based, etc. You could also swap in cottage cheese, sour cream or even ricotta cheese. The goal of the milk is to thin out the eggs a bit and to make a custard.
Equipment
I recommend using a silicone mini muffin pan for this recipe because it's easy to remove the egg bites from the pan. You could also use a non-stick mini muffin pan like this one, but you should still spray it with cooking spray.
Consider buying mini muffin cup liners if you are using a standard muffin pan as the egg bites run the risk of sticking without them.
Storage
These broccoli cheddar egg bites are perfect for meal prep. Be sure to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can enjoy them cold out of the refrigerator (that's typically how I eat them when I'm in a hurry) or you can microwave them, covered, for about 30 seconds, until hot.
What about freezing? Yes, you can freeze these egg bites, but I don't typically enjoy frozen egg dishes. It will work, yes, but the quality will not be as good as fresh or refrigerated.
Be sure to not leave the egg bites on the counter for more than 2 hours for food safety purposes.
Top tip
Do not be alarmed if the egg bites puff up over the edges of the muffin cup when cooked. They get puffy because the steam from the eggs and milk creates air in the egg bite, but there isn't enough structure to keep them from eventually collapsing. For this reason, don't be afraid to fill the cups right to the top with veggies and the egg mixture.
FAQ
Store leftover egg bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to refrigerate them after 2 hours. You can freeze egg bites for up to 3 months, but the texture of cooked egg dishes change once frozen.
Yes! Using mini cupcake liners for mini egg bites will help ensure they do not stick in the pan. However, it's important to remove the paper liner once cooked and cooled slightly or the egg bites may actually stick to the liner.
If you do not have a mini muffin pan, you can follow this recipe as is but adjust the cook time to about 20-25 minutes. They are done cooking when they are no longer jiggly and have puffed up over the edges.
Any egg dish will get rubbery if the eggs are overcooked. For this reason, it's important to keep an eye on the egg bites as they cook and remove them from the oven just as they are set and no longer jiggle.
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Recipe
Mini Egg Bites with Broccoli and Cheddar
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini egg bites 1x
Description
This grab-and-go recipe for Mini Egg Bites with Broccoli and Cheddar is perfect if you find yourself constantly short on time for breakfast. They are a simple vegetable-packed breakfast that is perfect for meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head broccoli (8 ounces), cut into florets (about 4 cups) *see note
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ tsp. table salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup (2 ½ oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and generously spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Add mini cupcake liners if not using a silicone mini muffin pan to prevent the egg bites from sticking.
- Add broccoli to a small sauce pan and add enough water to cup up 1-inch on the sides. Simmer over medium heat until just barely tender, about 4 minutes. Or, place broccoli and ¼ cup of water in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a plate and microwave on high until just tender, about 2 minutes.
- Drain and dry the broccoli well with paper towels then chop.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large measuring cup. Divide the chopped broccoli and cheese among the mini muffin cups and pour on the egg mixture. The egg mixture should come up to the top of the muffin cup (see note). If the muffin pan is flimsy (if it's silicone), I recommend baking on a baking sheet. Transfer muffin pan to the oven and bake until puffy and set (the egg bites are done when they no longer jiggle and puff up over the edges), 12-14 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Use a mini offset spatula to remove the egg bites and cool slightly before enjoying. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- You can also use frozen broccoli. Just be sure to cook until just barely tender and dry well with paper towels.
- Excess moisture from the broccoli could make the egg bites wet.
- Egg bites will turn rubbery if overcooked.
- Try adding garlic powder, Italian season, chili powder or your favorite seasoning.
- You can swap out the whole milk for reduced fat milk, plant-based milk, ricotta cheese, sour cream or even cottage cheese. Use the same volume.
- Feel free to swap in your favorite cheese.
- Leftover egg bites may be frozen for up to 3 months but note the texture will not be as good once frozen.
- To reheat mini egg bites, microwave, covered, on high for about 30 seconds. Or enjoy them cold right out of the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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