Sausage, Pepper and Cheddar Breakfast Egg Muffins

Name: Sausage, Pepper and Cheddar Breakfast Egg Muffins
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 34 min
Total time: 52 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the muffin tin; 8 oz (225 g) bulk breakfast sausage (pork or turkey), casings removed if using links; 1 cup (150 g) red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 1 medium pepper); 2 cups, packed (60 g) fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped; 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (about 4 oz); 10 large (500 g) large eggs, at room temperature if possible; ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, fine; reduce slightly if your sausage is very salty; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Fluffy, protein-rich egg muffins packed with browned sausage, sweet bell pepper, wilted spinach and sharp cheddar. They bake in one tin, reheat in under a minute, and make weekday breakfasts effortless.

Prep: 18 min
Cook: 34 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 2 min
Makes: 12 egg muffins (serves 6, 2 per person)

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Ingredients

6 servings

1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the muffin tin
For the filling
8 oz (225 g) bulk breakfast sausage (pork or turkey), casings removed if using links
1 cup (150 g) red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 1 medium pepper)
2 cups, packed (60 g) fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded (about 4 oz)
For the egg mixture
10 large (500 g) large eggs, at room temperature if possible
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, fine; reduce slightly if your sausage is very salty
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground

Equipment (7)

12-cup standard muffin tin (each cup about ½ cup / 120 ml capacity)
Large 10-inch (25 cm) nonstick skillet
Large mixing bowl with pouring spout, or a large liquid measuring cup
Whisk
Wooden spoon or spatula
Instant-read thermometer
Small offset spatula or thin butter knife

Steps

Before you start

Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 350°F (175°C) before you start cooking.
Shred the cheddar from a block if you can; pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch and melts less smoothly.
Pat the spinach and pepper dry after washing. Extra water makes watery, weepy muffins.
Grease every cup generously, including the top surface of the tin, even if your tin is nonstick.

1
Heat oven, grease tinOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease all 12 cups of the muffin tin thoroughly with the oil or spray, covering the bottoms, sides and the flat top surface around each cup.
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Ready when: Every cup looks evenly glossy with no dry spots.
Tip: Eggs stick stubbornly to bare metal, so don't skimp on grease, even with a nonstick tin.
2
Brown the sausage
- Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the sausage and break it into pea-sized crumbles with a wooden spoon.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes.
- If there is more than 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan, spoon off the excess and leave the rest for cooking the vegetables.
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Ready when: Crumbles are browned in spots with no pink remaining, and reach 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
Tip: Crumble small so the sausage distributes evenly through the muffins. Turkey sausage must reach 165°F (74°C).
3
Soften peppers, wilt spinach
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the diced bell pepper to the sausage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until it begins to soften.
- Add the chopped spinach and stir for about 1 minute until it collapses.
- If any liquid pools in the pan, cook 1 minute more until the pan looks dry.
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Ready when: Pepper is slightly tender but still colorful; spinach is dark green and wilted; pan is dry.
Tip: Excess moisture is the main cause of soggy, weepy muffins.
4
Cool the filling
- Transfer the sausage mixture to a plate or shallow bowl and spread it out.
- Let it cool for 5 minutes so it won't scramble the eggs or melt the cheese on contact.
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Ready when: Filling is warm to the touch, not hot.
5
Whisk the eggs
- In a large bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper for about 30 seconds, until the yolks and whites are fully blended with no visible streaks of white.
- Don't whip in lots of air or the muffins will puff and then collapse.
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Ready when: Mixture is a uniform pale yellow and slightly frothy at most.
Tip: Using a vessel with a spout makes pouring into the cups much cleaner.
6
Fill the cups
- Divide the cooled sausage mixture evenly among the 12 cups, about 2 heaping tablespoons each.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top, about 4 teaspoons (1⅓ tablespoons) per cup, using all of it.
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Ready when: Cups are each about half filled with a layer of cheese on top.
7
Pour in the eggs
- Give the egg mixture a quick whisk, then pour about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) into each cup, filling to about ¼ inch (6 mm) below the rim.
- Stir each cup once with a fork to distribute the fillings.
- Wipe any drips off the tin top.
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Ready when: Egg level is just below the rim in every cup.
Tip: Don't fill to the top; the muffins puff as they bake and will spill over. If a cup is nearly full, stop pouring and divide the remainder among the lower cups.
8
Bake the muffinsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) on the center rack for 20 to 24 minutes, rotating the tin front to back after 12 minutes.
- Check by gently pressing the center of a muffin and by inserting a thermometer.
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Ready when: Tops are puffed and lightly golden, centers spring back when pressed, and the internal temperature reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: If the centers jiggle or look wet, bake 2 more minutes and re-check.
9
Rest and release
- Remove the tin from the oven and let the muffins rest for 5 minutes; they will deflate slightly.
- Run a thin offset spatula or butter knife around each muffin, then lift them out.
- Serve warm.
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Ready when: Edges pull slightly from the tin and muffins lift out intact.
Tip: Releasing too soon can tear the muffins; the short rest firms them up.

Good to know

Tips

Pat or cook off all moisture from the vegetables; wet fillings make spongy, watery muffins.
Keep the fillings and egg amounts as written. Overfilling causes the muffins to spill and stick.
Silicone muffin cups or paper liners are fine, but still grease them lightly for easy release.
Use a thermometer to avoid overbaking, which makes the eggs rubbery.

Make ahead

Bake the muffins completely, cool them to room temperature on a wire rack (about 20 minutes), then refrigerate or freeze as directed below. You can also cook the sausage and vegetables up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate; bring the filling to room temperature before assembling.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze on a tray until solid, then bag for up to 2 months. To reheat, microwave a refrigerated muffin for 30 to 40 seconds, or a frozen one wrapped in a damp paper towel for 60 to 90 seconds, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C). Or reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.

Substitutions

bulk breakfast sausage (pork or turkey) → diced ham or cooked crumbled bacon (about 1 cup). Use fully cooked meat; no need to brown it, just warm briefly with the vegetables.
sharp cheddar cheese → Monterey Jack, pepper jack or Gruyère. Use the same weight; any good melting cheese works.
fresh baby spinach → chopped kale or thawed, well-squeezed frozen spinach. Cook kale 2 to 3 minutes until tender; squeeze frozen spinach dry in a towel and use about ½ cup.
whole milk → half-and-half or unsweetened plain non-dairy milk. Half-and-half gives a richer, softer texture.