Doin' Some Cookin'... Breakfast Casserole Muffins

I place an importance on making sure Little Man heads off to school every morning with something in his belly even if it's just a nibble of something if he's really not that hungry. Rare when that happens. His go to breakfast is peanut butter toast or cereal (not the sugary kids kind either). I offer to make him other items but he usually will pass and stick with his usual.

I'm always trying to get Little Man to branch out and try new things so I figured I would give these Breakfast Casserole Muffins a try and not give him any other option for breakfast. Well well well... that plan worked because he loved these.

My only complaint is that there was too much bread in our muffins and not enough of the other yummies. Next time around I will clean out the fridge adding any meats and veggies that need to be used up and might make them healthier by omitting the egg yolks and replacing the bread with some cooked potatoes at the bottom of the tin cups.

We had plenty of leftovers for breakfast for the week. Such a time saver on rushed work and school mornings.

Breakfast Casserole Muffins

From: Thriving Home

Makes 12 Muffins

Stars of the Show:

• 3-4 slices whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
• 4 slices deli ham, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• dried parsley

And Action:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin well.

Fill muffin tins about 1/2 way with the bread. 

Sprinkle ham and egg evenly in each tin. 

Whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, and ground pepper. 

Pour the egg mixture evenly in each tin. 

Sprinkle dried parsley to taste on each top.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through the middle. Enjoy! Preferably with some hot sauce like Cholula. It kicked this up a notch. 

Freezer Meal:

Bake according to the directions above and then cool completely. Place in a single layer in a freezer container or bag. Seal well, squeezing out excess air, and freeze.

To reheat, wrap a muffin in a moist paper towel and microwave for 30 second increments until heated through. Or thaw in the fridge and warm in the microwave. 

Doin' Some Cookin'... Breakfast Egg Muffins

Breakfast Egg Muffins are so easy to make and easily adaptable for ingredients you have on hand.

I followed this recipe from the Healthy Recipes blog and did as they did using beef. Not a traditional "breakfast" food item I use so it was no big deal making these for dinner instead. Word from the wise, using beef made these essentially a burger topped with an egg. Not at all what I was thinking an egg muffin would be. Next time I would use spicy pork sausage for more of a "breakfast" egg muffin.

I also want to try and scramble the eggs with some veggies and fill the meat shells with that instead of cracking the egg whole.

Serve these egg muffins with a side of fresh berries and you've got a filling meal.

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Adapted From: Healthy Recipes

Makes 8 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8 large eggs

And Action:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eight 7oz ramekins brushed with olive oil on a large baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mix the beef and seasonings until well combined. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions and press into each ramekin. Pressing the meat until it covers the bottom and sides of the ramekins creating a shell.

Break an egg into each meat shell. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are set, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the ramekins and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Corn Dog Muffins

When I was pregnant my diet consisted mostly of corn dogs because I craved mustard and it's the first thing I think of to go with mustard. Probably why it's not surprising that Little Man loves corn dogs, but he prefers his with ketchup. Maybe too much mustard in his system already. Ha!

These corn dog muffins are as close to homemade corn dogs as I can get. They are baked and not fried making them a healthier alternative. Rather than using hot dogs I used uncured beef cocktail franks.

When it comes to cornbread I prefer mine to be sweet. WARNING! The cornbread recipe used in this recipe is not sweet but it works for these, especially if you're dipping your muffins in mustard like me.

This is a kid friendly treat and would make the perfect football game day option too. Little Man ate the entire serving without making one single gripe. That alone is a dinner success. Time being the other success since these came together in under 30 minutes. If you are short on time you could save time by using a boxed cornbread mix instead.

Really these muffins could be adapted for a yummy breakfast too... I was thinking about swapping the hotdogs for sausage and cheese, or ham. Yum.

Corn Dog Muffins

Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman

Makes 12 Muffins, 1 Serving is 2 Muffins

Stars of the Show:

• 1/4 cup shortening, melted
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 package uncured beef cocktail franks

And Action:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine cornmeal, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, milk, and egg. Add baking powder and baking soda to the wet ingredients. Stir in the dry ingredients. Add the shortening, slightly cooled, stirring constantly. 

Grease a muffin pan and fill them a little more than half full with batter. Lay 2 beef cocktail franks on top. 

Bake until cornbread is done, about 12-14 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve with condiments of choice. Enjoy!