Cottage Cheese Egg Bites

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray (for coating the muffin pan)
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
• 1.5 cups shredded Gruyère, Cheddar, mozzarella or Monterey Jack (divided; or a combination)
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• Raw chopped vegetables (optional; such as onion, scallions, bell pepper or spinach)
• Cooked chopped vegetables (optional; such as mushrooms, broccoli, roasted red pepper, cauliflower, potato, sweet potato or butternut squash)
• Cooked chopped bacon or sausage (optional)
• Finely chopped herbs (optional; such as basil, parsley, chives or cilantro)
• hot sauce (optional; dashes)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 325 degrees with the rack in the center position.

2. 2

   In a kettle or a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and keep at a simmer.

3. 3

   Thoroughly coat a 12-cup muffin pan (preferably silicone or nonstick) with nonstick cooking spray.

4. 4

   Place the eggs, cottage cheese, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, and the salt and pepper in a blender.

5. 5

   Blend on high for 8 to 10 seconds, just until the mixture is smooth and frothy. (Don’t overblend, as too much air could make the egg bites collapse as they bake.)

6. 6

   Place the muffin pan on a sheet pan.

7. 7

   Pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of the way.

8. 8

   If using any optional mix-ins, add them on top of each cup and, using a chopstick or small spoon, gently stir them into the mixture.

9. 9

   Top with the remaining ½ cup shredded cheese and transfer to the oven.

10. 10

    Carefully pour the hot water into the sheet pan just to cover the very bottom of the muffin cups.

11. 11

    Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the egg bites have set.

12. 12

    Remove the muffin pan from the sheet pan of water in the oven and set aside for 5 minutes.

13. 13

    Remove the bites from the pan. If using a silicone pan, they should pop right out. If not, use a butter knife or small offset spatula to run along the sides of the cups and gently lift them out.

Notes

For best results, use a silicone muffin pan. The water bath creates steam which ensures the eggs bake gently and remain fluffy. Egg bites will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a microwave or a 300-degree oven until warmed through. You can also skip the water bath; some users report baking for 13 minutes at 325°F in a non-stick tin without water results in a good texture.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• snack
• high-protein
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• baked
• meal-prep