The Lunch Lady
Sausage and cheddar egg bites
Soft egg bites with breakfast sausage, cheddar and Greek yogurt. A lightly oiled parchment cover keeps the tops moist while they bake in a muffin pan.
Published · Updated
- Servings
- 6 servings, 2 egg bites each
- Total time
- About 55 minutes, including a 5-minute rest
The base rests while you prepare the muffin pan. Baking time is approximate and varies with the pan.
Cover the muffin pan
These stayed soft right through the middle. Sausage, cheddar and a smooth egg base, baked in muffin molds. A few kids told me they liked them better than the Starbucks egg bites.
The trick was a piece of lightly oiled parchment over the top of the molds. It kept the moisture in so the eggs almost steamed in the cavities. No dry, rubbery tops.
We used our house breakfast sausage. Making sausage is easier than it sounds. You mix ground pork with seasonings, then brown it like any other sausage. I like knowing what went into it. Bought breakfast sausage works here too.
Our school-batch estimate was about 220 calories, 20 grams of protein and 2 grams of carbs for two bites. Those numbers are approximate and change with the sausage, dairy and portion size.
We served them with blueberry drop scones. Warm scones, a little honey and a couple of egg bites made a very good lunch.
In the kitchen
Recipe video
Home recipe
Sausage and cheddar egg bites
The Lunch Lady · Jared Veldheer
- Servings
- 6 servings, 2 egg bites each
- Prep time
- About 20 minutes
- Cook time
- About 30 minutes
- Total time
- About 55 minutes, including a 5-minute rest
The base rests while you prepare the muffin pan. Baking time is approximate and varies with the pan.
Equipment: Standard 12-cup muffin pan or silicone muffin molds on a sheet pan, parchment, foil, skillet, blender, kitchen scale and instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go.
Twelve egg bites
Optional homemade maple-sage sausage
This optional sausage batch makes more than the egg bites need. Use 85 g of the cooked sausage here and use the rest for another meal.
Instructions
Cook the sausage
- If using the homemade option, mix the ground pork with all its seasonings, maple syrup and ice water until tacky. It can cook right away, or rest covered in the refrigerator overnight for the seasoning to settle in.
- Brown about 4 to 5 ounces of raw breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into fine crumbles, until it reaches 160°F. Drain well and weigh out 85 g for the bites. Let it cool slightly.
Blend and fill
- Heat the oven to 325°F conventional, with a rack in the middle. Lightly oil all 12 muffin cups. Put silicone molds on a rimmed sheet pan for support.
- Blend the weighed egg, yogurt, milk, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic until smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds. Keep the cheese out of the blender.
- Let the base stand for about 10 minutes, then skim off surface foam. Meanwhile, toss the cooked sausage with the shredded cheese.
- Divide the sausage and cheese among the 12 cups, about 15 g per cup. Gently stir the egg base, then divide it evenly over the filling, about 49 g per cup. Leave a little room at the top.
Cover and bake
- Cut parchment to cover the muffin pan. Brush one side lightly with oil and lay that side down over the cups. Secure it with foil crimped around the pan rim so the parchment stays in place and the cover traps moisture. For silicone molds, secure the cover around the supporting sheet pan.
- Bake covered for about 25 to 35 minutes, starting to check at 22 minutes. The centers should be set and reach 165°F. Lift the cover carefully to check, then replace it if they need longer.
- Rest for 5 minutes with the cover still on. Loosen the edges gently and lift out the bites, or release them from the silicone molds. Serve two per person.
Recipe notes
- Greek yogurt is part of the egg base. Blend it completely so there are no white pockets.
- Weigh the beaten eggs for the closest match. Egg size varies; save any extra beaten egg for another use.
- Drain and crumble the sausage well. Large pieces sink, and excess fat makes the bites greasy.
- The parchment cover keeps the moisture in. It should stay secured above the cups, away from the oven's heating elements.
- Our school-batch estimate for two bites was about 220 calories, 20 g protein and 2 g carbs, before the scone or honey. Home ingredients and portion sizes change those numbers.