Breakfast Egg Cups

Hi everyone, it's Amy (Megan's older sister) again. My family has been on a collective health kick as of late. It's probably because we are headed to Hawaii in less than 2 weeks and the time to get in shape has slipped away. Even before the trip, we've been trying to make things healthier and more exciting. I can attest to the fact that bringing my lunch to work every day is probably smart for my waistline and my wallet, but let's be honest, that's happening because I started a new job and no longer have the chance to eat with my old lunch crew (whom I miss dearly).

I've been looking for ways to incorporate eggs into my breakfasts because I think they definitely do the best job when it comes to keeping me full and satisfied. On one of my many Pinterest binges, I stumbled across a recipe for Egg Cups. These little guys are a meal in one convenient muffin-shaped wonder. I'd recommend grabbing 2 for breakfast. They can be refrigerated and kept for a few days, but they are best right out of the oven. These are super easy to put together and I know you could easily customize the recipe with your own toppings. We stuck with the basics: hash browns, eggs, cheddar, and bacon; but I am sure sausage, spinach, tomatoes, and feta or any other combo would be great!

Ingredients
12 oz of hash browns (typically come in a 24 oz bag in the frozen foods aisle)
12 eggs
6-10 slices of bacon (it's all preference, we are bacon eaters)
1/2 c shredded cheddar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper
extra cheese for topping


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cook your bacon (if you aren't using bacon bits) and set aside. Lightly grease the muffin tin with cooking spray or use a paper towel and vegetable/olive oil to lightly wipe the cups. In a mixing bowl, throw in the hash browns, 1/3 c of cheddar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Once you've mixed these ingredients, load up the muffin tin. Fill up the cups evenly. The potatoes will cook down. The oil is supposed to help them crisp up a bit, a little extra cooking spray will help that process along. 

Place the potatoes in the oven and cook for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. While the potatoes are cooking, roughly chop up your cooked bacon. Once the potatoes are ready, take the potatoes out and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. You can press the potatoes down with the back of a spoon to create a little nest for your egg. It's not necessary, but the potatoes will come up around the egg a little more. Now crack an egg in each of your cups, top with the bacon, and sprinkle a little cheese on each cup. I threw a pinch of salt and pepper on each egg as well. Place the muffin tin back in the oven (at 350 degrees) and cook for 13-15 minutes depending on how firm or runny you want your eggs. 

When the eggs are done, remove the pan from the oven and use a knife to loosen the egg cups from the sides of the muffin tins. Getting them out is typically the toughest part, but they should slide out pretty easily. Voila! Breakfast in a cup.


Makes 12 egg cups.


Source: Adapted from Little Birdie Baby