Figuring out a go-to, healthy breakfast for hectic weekday mornings can be a major challenge. After all, healthy breakfasts are rarely attainable when you’re up against the clock to catch your train on time, or beat the inevitable traffic jams on your daily commute, and things get even more challenging when kids are involved.
Luckily, these kale and mushroom egg bites check all the boxes: they’re healthy yet delicious, simple to meal prep and reheat, and endlessly adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Meal Prep Made Simple
The greatest part of this recipe is, hands down, how quick and easy these egg bites are to reheat on a busy morning. Their beginner-friendly cooking process comes in a very close second place.
Meal prepping can be an incredibly daunting task—gathering a week’s worth of groceries, organizing them flawlessly, and then giving up hours of free time on an otherwise relaxing weekend afternoon isn’t for everyone.
However, donating just over 30 minutes of your time to whip up a batch or two of egg bites for the week feels like a much easier commitment, and you’ll be rewarded with a guilt-free breakfast you can enjoy all week long.
Time Saving Tips
Since time is of the essence here, there are a couple of time-saving tricks incorporated into this easy recipe that will help you get these egg bites cooked and ready to eat as soon as humanly possible:
- Using a food processor to chop veggies is one of my favorite kitchen hacks when I have a mountain of veggies to prepare. Even if you possess exemplary knife skills, chopping a large amount of vegetables can be admittedly overwhelming, so I’ve found that gently pulsing vegetables using a food processor gives you great results in a fraction of the time it would take to slice and dice by hand. That said, it’s important to give your vegetables a head start by giving them a rough chop before they’re added to the food processor. This should only take you a matter of seconds, then your food processor will happily do the rest of the work for you!
- Prep as you go. While I’m normally a fan of prepping your ingredients fully before starting the cooking process (mise en place for the win!), this recipe is so simple that you can prep your ingredients as you cook and shave off some serious time. Time it right, and you’ll likely be ready to bake these egg bites shortly after your oven reaches the correct temperature.
Substitutions and Variations
These kale and mushroom egg bites have a lot going for them already—they’re keto-friendly, vegetarian, and gluten-free—but you can customize these bites in any way your heart desires:
- To make these egg bites completely dairy-free, substitute the butter with olive oil or whatever cooking oil you have on hand and replace the half and half with your favorite non-dairy milk.
- If you can’t find portobello mushrooms at your local grocery store, you can substitute with any mushrooms you like, keeping in mind that you’ll want about 1 cup of mushrooms after they’ve been chopped in the food processor. The portobello mushrooms add a succulent meatiness to these egg bites, but cremini mushrooms or shiitakes would work just as well.
- If dairy isn’t a problem for you or your gut, these egg bites are delicious with just about any type of cheese—add about a teaspoon of cheese to each well before you pour in the egg mixture. I love the salty, bright bite of crumbled feta, though another sharp, hard cheese (like Parmesan or asiago) would be a perfect addition, too.
- If you’re looking to shave off even more time while you prep these egg bites, you can substitute the fresh kale with frozen kale, or opt for frozen, chopped spinach instead. You’ll want to thaw and drain the greens as much as possible beforehand, and using about 1/2 cup thawed kale or spinach should get you the perfect ratio of mushrooms to greens.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Easy breakfasts don’t get much more user-friendly than this—just grab an egg bite or two from the refrigerator or freezer, pop them on a plate, microwave, and dash. As someone who has admittedly devoured these while full-on sprinting to my subway stop more times than I care to reveal, I guarantee that you can sneak this nutritious breakfast in while doing just about anything.
To store kale and mushroom egg bites in the refrigerator, allow them to cool to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container. To reheat, place an egg bite or two on a plate and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just warmed through. The egg bites will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze the cooled egg bites, place them on a large plate or sheet pan in the freezer for an hour. Add the frozen egg bites to a gallon-sized plastic bag and freeze. To reheat, place one or two frozen egg bites on a plate and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until completely defrosted and warmed through. Egg bites will last for up to 2 months in the freezer.
For an even easier morning, you can refrigerate or freeze the cooled egg bites in individual portions using small, sandwich-sized plastic bags.
Quick and Easy Breakfasts Wins
Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
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5 large leaves fresh kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
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3 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and roughly chopped
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
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9 large eggs
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1/4 cup half and half
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Aleppo pepper or smoked paprika, to taste (optional)
Special Equipment
- Food processor
- 1 to 2 standard muffin tins (enough to make 12 egg bites)
Method
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Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
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Prepare the muffin tin:
Microwave 1 tablespoon of the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup until melted, 15 to 20 seconds. Using a brush or paper towel, thoroughly coat each well in a 12-well muffin or cupcake tin generously with the melted butter.
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Process the filling:
Using a food processor, pulse the chopped kale for 5-10 seconds, or until shredded into small pieces. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the chopped portobello mushrooms, pulsing until diced.
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Cook the filling:
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter is foamy, add the processed mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until all liquid from the mushrooms has been released (the mushrooms will reduce in volume significantly).
Add the kale and another 1/4 teaspoon salt to the skillet and sauté until wilted and tender, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the vegetables to cool slightly.
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Prepare the egg mixture:
Using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the eggs, half and half, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until the mixture is frothy and completely homogenous, 10 to 15 seconds. Alternatively, whisk together thoroughly in a bowl.
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Fill the wells:
Divide the cooled kale and portobello mushroom mixture among the 12 buttered wells of the muffin tin, then carefully fill each well no more than 3/4 full with the egg mixture. Use a small spoon or butter knife to combine the ingredients in each well, then finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika or Aleppo pepper on top of each well, if desired.
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Bake the egg bites:
Bake the egg bites, rotating the muffin tin halfway through to ensure even baking, 16 to 19 minutes. When finished, the egg bites will be puffed and barely set in the middle, but not at all hard.
Test for doneness occasionally by poking the center of each egg bite—perfectly cooked egg bites will be bouncy and just set, as they’ll continue to set up as they cool.
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Serve or store the egg bites:
Remove the cooked egg bites from the oven and run a butter knife around the edge of each well to release any stuck-on bits. Let cool slightly, then remove to a plate.
Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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174 | Calories |
12g | Fat |
5g | Carbs |
12g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 174 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 12g | 16% |
Saturated Fat 5g | 27% |
Cholesterol 293mg | 98% |
Sodium 337mg | 15% |
Total Carbohydrate 5g | 2% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 5% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 12g | |
Vitamin C 19mg | 97% |
Calcium 89mg | 7% |
Iron 2mg | 10% |
Potassium 336mg | 7% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |