Go Back
two small crustless golden egg muffins on an ordinary plate, one broken open to show finely chopped green broccoli and tiny pink ham cubes in a soft pale-yellow egg center, without paper liners or garnish
Andre Lewis

Broccoli Ham and Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins

Tiny broccoli pieces work better than large florets in an egg cup you plan to eat with your fingers. Roast them first, then fold them and the ham into a smooth mixture of eggs and cottage cheese; the finished muffins have a soft custardy center without pockets of watery vegetable filling. A flexible muffin pan makes removal easier, but set it on a firm sheet pan before filling so you aren't carrying twelve wobbling cups to the oven. Freeze the cooled muffins separately before bagging them, which lets you take out a pair without prying apart a solid block.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz broccoli florets finely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
  • 6 oz fully cooked ham finely diced
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp butter for 12 muffin wells

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss broccoli with oil on a sheet pan and roast for 12 to 15 minutes until tender with dry edges; cool for 5 minutes.
  2. Reduce oven to 350°F and thoroughly butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Blend eggs, cottage cheese and pepper until smooth, then fold in broccoli and ham.
  3. Divide evenly among the wells, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes until puffed, set and 165°F in the center.
  4. Rest for 5 minutes, loosen the edges and lift onto a rack. Refrigerate in a shallow container within 2 hours, then freeze the chilled muffins on a lined tray until firm and transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
  5. For one serving, put two frozen muffins on a microwave-safe plate and cover loosely with a damp paper towel. Microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute, then at full power in 30-second bursts, usually another 1 to 2 minutes, until both centers reach 165°F.
  6. Rest for 1 minute before eating; the small cups can be much hotter inside than their surfaces suggest.