Baked Ham and Spinach Egg Muffins
Savory egg muffins baked in a tin, packed with chopped ham, wilted spinach and melted cheddar. A high-protein breakfast or snack you can make once and eat all week.
- Total
- 50 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 30 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Seasoning in layers
- Sweet & savory
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 180°C. Brush the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin generously with the olive oil so the egg muffins release cleanly.
~5 min
Generous oiling creates a barrier so the egg proteins do not bond to the metal, letting the muffins release cleanly.
-
Chop the ham into roughly 1 cm pieces. Grate the cheddar on the box grater. Roughly chop the spinach leaves.
~6 min
-
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the milk, salt and black pepper, and whisk until the yolks and whites are fully combined and slightly frothy.
~4 min
Whisking until frothy incorporates air and fully blends yolk and white so the muffins set evenly rather than streaky.
Whisking Whisk in a fast circular motion, lifting to incorporate air, until the mixture is uniform and slightly frothy; stop before it becomes foamy and stiff.
Seasoning in layers Season the egg base, then taste a pinch of the mixed filling before baking; ham and cheddar are salty, so add salt cautiously.
-
Stir the chopped ham, grated cheddar and chopped spinach into the egg mixture until evenly distributed.
~2 min
Even distribution before baking ensures every cup gets the same ratio of ham, cheese and spinach, so they bake uniformly.
If the spinach releases water into the cups, blot the chopped leaves with paper towel before mixing so the muffins set firm rather than weeping.
Seasoning in layers Season the egg base, then taste a pinch of the mixed filling before baking; ham and cheddar are salty, so add salt cautiously.
-
Divide the mixture evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
~3 min
Filling three-quarters full leaves headroom for the egg to puff and rise without overflowing the cups.
-
Bake until the muffins are puffed, the centers are set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.
~25 min
Egg proteins coagulate and set as they heat; baking until the center is clean means the custard is fully cooked, not raw.
For a golden top, switch on the grill for the last 2 minutes of baking, but watch closely because the cheddar browns fast.
-
Let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and lift them out.
~5 min
Resting lets the hot egg muffins firm up and contract slightly, so they release from the tin without tearing.