The very first recipes I posted were, what I thought were my own invented list of International Egg Bites. They included one vegan version that is particularly tasty. Of course I later found out these have been around for years. But I decided to share these easy to make recipes that are both really good tasting, and are nutrient-filled; a breakfast to get you going for the day. These bites are also a good venue, as a dump dish, to use up aged ingredients in your veggie bins and pantry.
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My Idea for Egg Bites
I thought I had created these food items, before I did any internet surfing to find out if anyone else had come up with the idea. Of course after I made them, I checked and sure enough, several people had posted recipes on this dish years before. Sigh.
So while I cannot claim ownership of this idea, I can say that I have attempted to broaden the basic recipes I found, to now include other countries’ flavor profiles.
Originally I came up with a dump recipe that used up some pantry and fridge items and called that the American. It was mainly made from eggs and ingredients like broccoli from my fridge that were close to limp.
I made these “bites” in small sizes because it was the only muffin tin size I had, and I used silicon muffin holders so nothing stuck to the pan.
Eventually, I learned that smallish sizes were great. They were small enough, that if in a hurry, I could pop half of one in my mouth with ease (if not too hot). Or I could cut a muffin into fourths, and place it between sliced, toasted bread or a flour tortilla and eat on the run.
If I felt I was low on fiber intake, it was easy enough to add some psyllium husks to the batch to up the fiber in each bite.
Storage/Reheat
Because making these bites takes time, and I only had one tin to work with, I would cook in batches. Thus, I made quite a lot of bites at a time. They freeze well, just let them get down to room temperature first. Then I used small baggies to contain one serving, and placed those in a larger freezer bag.
One thing about these muffins though, they really need to be served hot to taste good. To reheat I would use the oven (best) or microwave (not too long).
Basic Common Ingredients
These BITES all have some ingredients and techniques in common.
- They each have quinoa, as a good source of nutrient.
- I tend to cook quinoa in home made chicken broth to add more flavor and nutrients.
- Except for the vegan one, they each use up plenty of eggs.
- But also I add 2 flax or chia seed “egg” mixture equivalents for their added nutrients. Plus eggs are very expensive.
- I try to add cheese (or nutritional yeast) to add additional flavor and a smoother texture.
I have provided links to these recipes, just click on the sub-titles below.
Quinoa Egg Bites + Quiche Cups + Muffins
Quinoa Egg Bites – American Versions
This is a basic egg bite with broccoli and extra sharp cheddar cheese. This mixture, I believe, speaks to some basic American quiche flavors.
Another basic American version, would be to go the Denver Omelette route with cooked diced yellow onions, diced ham, and green peppers.
Vegan Quiche Cups
This is a great vegan and vegetarian eggless breakfast. I used chickpea flour instead of eggs to make a batter that hardened enough during cooking to make the muffin work. Of course, you can add anything you want for flavor, but I chose:
- Chickpea flour instead of eggs
- Dill, basil, tomato salt, and pepper
- Nutritional yeast instead of cheese
- Sliced asparagus, diced red bell pepper, minced garlic, sliced shallot
Quinoa Egg Bites – Greek
I made this recipe when I found I had a bit of feta cheese left over that needed to be used. So why not make a Greek version by mixing in: diced cooked mushrooms (cooked to remove moisture), fresh dill, sun dried tomatoes, sliced Kalamata olives, and spinach. When hot out of the oven, the smell of this breakfast is amazing.
Quinoa Egg Bites – Spanish
Once I did a Greek version I thought I could use Spanish ingredients and make a different type. So I chopped red and yellow bell peppers, shallots, parsley and saffron, and then added Manchego cheese. This was great and was so yellow.
Quinoa Egg Bites – Tex Mex
Then I listed what I considered Tex Mex ingredients, and came up with this version. I added diced green bell pepper, sweet whole kernel corn, Monterey pepper jack cheese, cumin, black beans, and a dash of hot sauce on top. One day, when in a hurry, I quickly heated up a flour tortilla over the gas flame, chopped an egg bite into fours and wrapped them up to eat on the way to work. Yummy and very filling.
Sweet Potato Egg Muffins
Then I started to think about ways to make the egg bites heavier so that they are even more filling. As a result I added sweet potatoes, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and hot sauce. The herbs that seemed right were garlic granules, psyllium husks for fiber, and some lemon pepper. I thought this was a very good breakfast and added some hot sauce on top as is my preference.
Kimchi Egg Muffins – Korean
Make the egg mix and add chopped kimchi with sliced green scallions, and season with salt and pepper. You could also add sliced ham if you wanted.
The next time I make these, I am thinking of experimenting by adding some Gochujang and a bit of Gochugaru to make these bites red.
Other Ideas
LifeMadeKeto is a site with Keto-specific egg muffins that are high protein, relative to any carbs. The picture above gives examples of the ones they recommend.
But also, now even Starbucks is featuring a sous vide egg bite featuring bacon, cottage cheese (or cream cheese) and Swiss cheese (according to FlavCity).
Hope you enjoy these recipes. Oh, and these are also fun to make with kids.
—Patty
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