White Cheddar and Zucchini Egg Muffins

These savory egg muffins are perfect for meal prepping! They're packed with veggies, shredded white cheddar, and cottage cheese for a quick and easy breakfast.

Grab and Go Breakfast Option:

Never underestimate the benefit of a grab-and-go, healthy breakfast option.

As much as I love a Starbucks run and a pair of hot egg bites, the cost really adds up! These homemade egg muffins come together so quicky and taste great.

I make a batch on Sunday or Monday and eat them all week long. They're a great way to add protein to a carb-y breakfast like waffles or alongside a nutrient-packed smoothie.

Key Ingredients:

• Bell pepper - Any color works, but orange and red are the sweetest! Don't forget to cut them small, since egg bites are small. Huge chunks detract from the overall flavor.
• Garlic - Fresh garlic is more nutritious and potent than jarred garlic so that's what I use. If you're in a hurry, jarred garlic works fine.
• Zucchini - Look for a small zucchini. Zucchini releases a lot of liquid when cooked so it's best not to overpack them with it.
• White cheddar - For best results, buy a high-quality block of cheddar cheese in the deli section and shred it yourself. I typically find what's on sale and go from there.
• Cottage cheese - Adds additional protein and makes the egg bites fluffy. If you're not a cottage cheese fan, don't worry. You won't even taste it in there.
• Eggs - Always use large eggs, unless a recipe says otherwise.
• Kosher salt - If you only have table salt, reduce the amount by half. Table salt's granules are much smaller!

How to Make Egg Muffins:

Egg bites are SO easy! You don't need a sous vide or any special equipment. You just need a skillet and a muffin tin.

Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly coat a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil spray. Wipe with a paper towel if it's too much.

1. Prep Ingredients:

• Reading through the recipe and prepping your ingredients before you start makes cooking a breeze!
• Shred the white cheddar, mince the onion and garlic, and dice the bell pepper.

• Shred the zucchini and squeeze the excess liquid out of it. I used a box grater to shred mine.
• You can do this ahead of time too! Just refrigerate everything until time to mix and bake.

2. Sauté the veggies:

• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil in it.
• Sauté the bell pepper, onion, and garlic until soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the veggies to a large bowl and let them cool.

3. Mix and Bake:

• In the same bowl as the veggies, add the shredded zucchini, shredded cheddar, cottage cheese, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs.
• Pour the eggs in with the veggies and stir to combine.

• Scoop the mixture into the muffin tin, evenly dividing it by the 12 muffin cavities.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the centers are cooked.

Expert Tips:

• You can blend the eggs with the cottage cheese if you prefer. I found this step unnecessary since the egg muffins tasted delicious either way! And it's one less thing I have to clean.
• For best results, use a high-quality block of white cheddar! It tastes so much better than pre-shredded cheese and it's great for snacking.

Meal Prep for Breakfast:

I'm a huge believer in a flexible meal plan! Prepping some basic recipes at the beginning of the week makes mealtime so much easier, especially breakfast!

• Pancakes - I make a big batch, transfer them to a zip-top bag, and freeze them. Pop one in the microwave and heat until warm!
• Egg muffins - It's great to have a high-protein breakfast option that takes less than a minute to make! Just heat one in the microwave until warm.
• Overnight oats - You can prep these up to 3 days in advance. Try high protein overnight oats, peanut butter, or raspberry.
• Quiche - Let it cool and slice it up. Transfer the slices to an airtight container and enjoy for up to 5 days.

Easy Breakfast Recipes:

• Joanna Gaines Best buttermilk pancake recipe
• White Cheddar, Zucchini and Eggs breakfast cakes
• Carrot Banana Smoothie
• Blueberry Toast