Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites - A simple and Nutritious Breakfast

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Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites - A simple and Nutritious Breakfast

Finding a healthy breakfast for busy weekday mornings can be quite a challenge.

After all, healthy breakfasts are rarely possible when you're racing against the clock to catch a train on time or avoid 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 tick all the boxes: they're healthy yet delicious, easy to make and reheat, and endlessly adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand.

Simplified Meal Prep

The best part of this recipe is hands down how quick and easy these egg bites are to reheat on a busy morning.

Its beginner cooking process is a very close second.

Preparing a meal can be an incredibly daunting task: gathering a week's worth of groceries, arranging it perfectly, and then giving up hours of free time on a relaxing weekend afternoon isn't for everyone.

Donating a little more than 30 minutes of your time to make one or two batches of eggs for the week, however, seems like a much easier commitment, and you'll be rewarded with a guilt-free breakfast you can enjoy all week.

Tips to save time

Since time is of the essence here, there are a few time-saving hacks built into this easy recipe that will help you whip up these egg bites and have them ready to eat as quickly as possible:

Using a food processor to chop vegetables is one of my favorite kitchen hacks when I have a mountain of vegetables to prepare.

Even if you have exemplary knife skills, cutting through a large amount of vegetables can be overwhelming.

Which is why I found that gently shredding vegetables with a food processor gives great results in a fraction of the time it would take to chop and chop, hand.

That said, it's important to give the vegetables a head start by roughly chopping them before placing them in the food processor.

This should only take a few seconds, then your food processor will happily do the rest of the work for you!

Prepare on the go. While I usually like to fully prep the ingredients before beginning the cooking process (mise en place to win!).

This recipe is so simple that you can prep your ingredients as you cook and save a lot of time.

Time it right, and you'll probably be ready to bake these egg bites soon after your oven reaches the right temperature.

Substitutions and Variations

These Kale Mushroom Egg Bites already have a lot going for them: They're keto, vegetarian, and gluten-free, but you can customize these bites however you like:

To make these completely dairy-free egg bites, substitute olive oil or whatever cooking oil you have on hand for the butter, and replace half and half with your favorite non-dairy milk.

If you can't find portobello mushrooms at your local grocery store, you can substitute any mushroom you like, keeping in mind that you'll need about 1 cup of mushrooms once they're chopped in the food processor.

Portobello mushrooms add juicy meatiness to these egg bites, but cremini mushrooms or shiitakes work too.

If dairy isn't an issue 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 hole before pouring in the egg mixture.

I love the bright, salty bite of crumbled feta, though another hard, strong cheese (like Parmesan or Asiago) is also a perfect complement.

If you want to save even more time while preparing these egg bites, you can substitute fresh kale for the frozen kale or opt for frozen chopped spinach.

You'll want to thaw and drain the veggies as much as possible beforehand, and using about 1/2 cup of thawed kale or spinach should get you the perfect mushroom to veggie ratio.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat

Easy Breakfast doesn't get much easier than this: just grab an egg bite or two from the fridge or freezer, place on a plate, microwave, and chop.

As someone who has admitted to devouring them while running to my subway stop more times than I care to reveal, I guarantee you can eat this nutritious breakfast while doing just about anything.

To store kale and mushroom egg pieces in the refrigerator, allow them to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.

To reheat, place one or two egg bites on a plate and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds or until heated through.

Egg bites keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.

To freeze the cooled Egg Bites, place them on a large plate or cookie sheet in the freezer for one hour.

Add the frozen egg bites to a gallon-sized plastic bag and freeze.

To reheat, place one or two frozen egg pieces on a plate and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until completely thawed and hot.

Egg Bites last up to 2 months in the freezer.

For an even easier morning, you can refrigerate or freeze the chilled egg chunks in individual servings using small sandwich-sized plastic bags.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 5 large fresh kale leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 3 portobello mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 9 large eggs
• 1/4 cup half and half
• Aleppo pepper or smoked paprika, to taste (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Prepare the muffin pan:

Microwave 1 tablespoon butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup until melted, 15 to 20 seconds.

Using a brush or paper towel, coat each well in a 12-well muffin or cupcake pan generously with the melted butter.

Process the filling:

Using a food processor, shred the chopped kale for 5 to 10 seconds or until it crumbles into small pieces.

Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the chopped portobello mushrooms, pulsing until finely chopped.

Cook the filling:

Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter.

When the butter is foamy, add the processed mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, or until all the liquid has been released from the mushrooms (the mushrooms will reduce in volume significantly).

Add the kale and another 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the pan and sauté until softened and tender, 4 to 5 more minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the vegetables to cool slightly.

Prepare the egg mixture:

Using an immersion blender or regular hand mixer, beat the eggs half and half and 1/2 teaspoon salt until foamy and completely smooth, 10 to 15 seconds.

Alternatively, mix well in a bowl.

Fill the wells:

Divide the cooled kale and portobello mushroom mixture among the 12 buttered wells of the muffin pan, then carefully fill each well with the egg mixture to no more than 3/4 full.

Use a small spoon or butter knife to combine the ingredients in each well, and finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika or Aleppo pepper on top of each well, if desired.

Bake the Egg Bites:

Bake the egg bites, turning the muffin pan halfway to ensure even baking, 16 to 19 minutes. When done, the egg bites will be puffy and just barely set in the middle, but not hard at all.

Test for doneness by occasionally poking the center of each egg bite - perfectly cooked egg bites will bounce back and are ready to eat as they continue to set as they cool.

Serve or store the egg pieces:

Remove the hard-boiled egg bites from the oven and run a butter knife around the edge of each well to free any stuck bits. Let cool slightly and remove to a plate.

Serve warm or cold at room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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