Egg Muffins? What?

Egg bites, egg muffins, eggs-on-the-go…whatever you want to call it. In essence, though, these are tiny frittatas. A frittata is like a quiche, but without a pastry-crust base, and without any milk or cream in the egg mixture. So, it resembles a custard, but it isn’t one.

Frittatas can be filled with anything you like, but it’s best to precook larger, harder-to-cook bits. In this recipe, for instance, we don’t cook the peppers. But if we were using chunks of potato, we’d boil them to cook them first. The same goes for sausage or bacon—cook them first to ensure both quality and safety.

Egg doneness temps

These muffin-tin frittatas consist of tasty toppings suspended in a beaten egg mixture. That egg mixture has to be perfectly cooked for these to be as tasty as we want them to be, so what temperature should they be cooked to?

As with all egg dishes like this, we need to balance safety and texture. We don’t want them dry and chalky, nor do we want a “cream-filled” center of uncooked egg! Frittatas like this don’t have any added cream or milk in them—they’re just egg. That means they cook to about 175°F (79°C). You can go higher, but once you pass 200°F (93°C), things will start to get rubbery and chalky. Use your Thermapen^® ONE to temp them when the timer sounds. If you find that this batch is slightly overcooked, check them a minute sooner next time. (How your oven behaves will change the cook time somewhat.)

Let them cool fully on the counter, then store them in a container in the fridge. Now you can grab one as you leave the house. Of course, you can warm them in the microwave, but we find they’re actually still good when cold.

Give these easy, make-ahead breakfast treats a try and we think you’ll love them. Use your Thermapen ONE to ensure they cook up just right, and enjoy a fun breakfast, even with your hectic life. Happy cooking!