Egg Cups with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Cheese

Oct

7th

Trying to follow a high-protein diet is not always easy – who wants to make a 3-egg omelet during the week? Especially on days when I work out, I come home HUNGRY and ready to eat breakfast. These Egg Cups with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Cheese are perfect to have on hand in the fridge. One minute in the microwave and I’m eating something that makes me happy AND is good for me. No chalky protein shakes or sugary cereals, no 20 minutes slaving over a pot of oatmeal, no blender to clean up after a fruit smoothie. I make a batch on Sunday and I’m good to go!

I love how easily this recipe can be changed up. I was inspired by the mushroom/spinach combination at Manila Spoon and adapted my recipe from that one. However, my husband is extremely excited about an egg cup with bacon and even more cheese than these had. Speaking of cheese, I used 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese for color and 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese for the flavor. So many cheeses would be delicious here – feta, I’m talking to you! In fact, an egg cup with turkey, feta, and tomatoes sounds divine, I think I’ll try that one next.

Mix in anything else you can think of: chicken, chorizo, ham, onions, bell peppers, asparagus, broccoli, potatoes. Let your creativity and your appetite run wild!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and ¼ tsp. salt and cook until softened and the mushrooms have released most of their liquid, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms from skillet to a large mixing bowl, leaving any remaining oil and liquid in the skillet.

If using fresh spinach, add to the skillet with the water and sauté until tender and wilted, about 10 minutes. If using thawed spinach, sauté in pan until heated through. With either method, drain and place in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze and twist the towel to remove as much liquid as possible.

Add the spinach to the bowl with the mushrooms. Stir in eggs, cheese, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper.

Divide egg mixture evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Cool slightly before removing from muffin tins (the egg cups should come out easily). Serve hot or at room temperature.