Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 single-crust pie pastry, uncooked

1 pound ground pork sausage

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup peeled, chopped apples (I use Rome)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp garlic powder

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

Paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place pastry on a 10-inch pie plate. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake 8 minutes and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble and drain. Set aside to cool.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Combine the sausage, cheese, apples, onion, peppers, basil and garlic in a mixing bowl. Spoon into the prepared crust.
3. Beat the eggs and milk at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Pour over the sausage mixture. Sprinkle lightly with the paprika. Bake 50 minutes until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving warm.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (8-oz) package frozen 3-inch pastry shells, thawed

3 tbsp prepared mustard

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3 tbsp minced onions

1 cup shredded mozzarella or sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cooked, chopped ham

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Instructions

1. Bake the pastry shells according to the package directions and cool on a wire rack. Brush the bottoms of each shell with the prepared mustard. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir in the onions, cheese, ham, salt and pepper. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into each pastry shell. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving warm.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 salt

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 eggs

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup cottage cheese

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 medium poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Salsa

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a 9-inch glass pie plate and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs at high speed until doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, flour mixture, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack and chiles. Stir well to combine. Pour into the pie plate.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown and puffed. A cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Serve immediately (it will fall slightly) with salsa.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 single-crust pie pastry, uncooked

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided

2 sticks unsalted butter, divided

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

1 pound ricotta cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place the pastry dough on a 9-inch pie plate and flute as desired. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 tbsp of the butter and cinnamon. Process until smooth and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the remaining sugar and butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract and ricotta, blending to combine. Pour into the pie crust and sprinkle the reserved cinnamon topping over the top. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 single-crust pie pastry

1/2 pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place the pastry dough on a 10-inch pie plate. Prick the shell in several places with a fork. Line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Remove the weights and foil. Bake 10 minutes longer or until the shell is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook until crisp, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. transfer to paper towels to drain. Whisk together the eggs, yolks, cream and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour into the baked pie shell and sprinkle with the bacon. Bake 35-40 minutes. The center will still be slightly wobbly but not liquid. If the edges of the shell are browning too quickly, cover with a pie shield or foil during the last 10 minutes of baking. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Total Time: 35 mins | Servings: 12 egg bites

Ingredients

1 lb. cooked ground sausage

8 eggs

Mushrooms

Onions

Celery

Bell Pepper

Cheese

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients. Place in casserole dish or ovenproof skillet.
2. Beat eggs and pour over sausage and veggies. Top with cheese.
3. Bake at 350°F just until eggs are cooked and cheese has melted.

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Total Time: 35 mins | Servings: 12 egg bites

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, diced

6 large eggs

1 1/4 cups (4% milk-fat) cottage cheese

1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyère (or a blend of Gruyère and Cheddar or Monterey Jack)

2 tbsp cornstarch

Heaping 1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp hot sauce such as Tabasco

Instructions

1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Set one oven rack in the middle position and another in the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Place a 9×13″ metal or ceramic baking dish on the lower rack and fill it halfway with boiling water from the kettle. This will create steam in the oven, which will help the egg bites to cook gently and attain a custardy texture.
3. Spray a nonstick muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
4. In a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp, 5-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
5. In a blender, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, Gruyère, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
6. Pour the egg mixture evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each well about 3/4 full. Divide the bacon evenly over the egg bites. Using a spoon or your finger, press some of the bacon into the batter so it is not all floating on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle rack, until the eggs are set. You’ll know they are done when the egg bites start pulling slightly away from the edges. Some of the egg bites may puff up and look a bite lopsided, but they will settle and deflate as they cool.
7. Remove the egg bites from the oven and let rest in the pan for about 5 minutes. Use a small spoon to loosen the egg bites from the edges of the pan and carefully lift them out onto a plate. Serve warm.

Notes

Make-ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Once cool, the egg bites can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at 50% power for 60-90 seconds. The egg bites can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat using the microwave.

Note: I don’t recommend using a silicone muffin tin for this recipe as readers have commented that the egg bites take longer to set and cook unevenly.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note: To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

Prep Time: 25 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Total Time: 50 mins | Servings: 12

Ingredients

20 ounces hash browns, thawed

Egg Filling:

8 large eggs

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

For Serving:

Chives or Parsley

Hot Sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside. Prepare ingredients.
3. Fill each cup about 2/3 of the way full with the hash browns and press the sides in, so the bottom and sides are covered. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
4. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese.
5. Turn oven down to 350°F. Fill the center of the potato cups with the egg mixture. If you’d like more cheese, you may add more here. Then sprinkle the bacon on top.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the eggs are set. Remove from oven and top with chives or parsley. Drizzle with hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

Variations:

• Instead of whisking the eggs, add a cracked egg to each cup.

• Sauté onions, bell peppers and mushrooms and add to the egg mixture.

Storage: Store in a refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Yield: 16-18 servings | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

2 pie crusts, store bought is fine

1 tbsp butter

4 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup ( 180mL) whole milk, (low fat works too)

1/2 cup (120mL) heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Dash cayenne, optional

1 cup (40g) finely chopped fresh spinach

1/2 cup (60 g) chopped onion, about half a large onion

1 cup (145 g or 5 oz) diced cooked ham

1 cup (85 g or 4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Roll out pie crusts and use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut circles (3 1/2-inch round works too). Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with the butter. Place dough circles in muffin tin and press gently into the bottom and sides of each cup. Place muffin tin in the freezer while preparing the filling. Place any leftover pie dough in the refrigerator before making the next batch.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper and cayenne (if using). Stir in spinach, onion, ham and cheese.
4. Remove muffin tin from the freezer and fill each cup with egg filling. Leave about 1/4-inch of room at the top as the filling will puff up a little as it bakes.
5. Bake mini quiches at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until the centers are set and the edges are starting to brown. Let the quiches cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them and serving warm.

Tips

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze after the quiches have cooled completely. Place in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment paper between layers.

Reheat at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. If they are frozen, baking time will be 10-15 minutes.

Meat: Substitute ham with 1 cup cooked meat of your preference, such as sausage or bacon.

Cheese: Substitute Swiss with shredded Gruyere, gouda or cheddar. Crumbled goat cheese or feta also works.

Vegetarian: Omit the ham and add an extra cup of chopped vegetable, such as broccoli or bell pepper.