BREAKFAST · MEAL PREP
Of all the easy make-ahead breakfast recipes, egg muffin cups are the simplest to grab and go. Eggs and cottage cheese are whisked together and baked in a muffin tin with turkey sausage, spinach, bell pepper and cheddar. Two cups have about 22 g of protein, and a batch covers breakfast for most of the week.
Jump to Recipe
- Makes
- 12 cups (6 servings)
- Total time
- 35 minutes
- Pan
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Protein
- About 22 g per 2 cups
- Eggs done at
- 160°F / 71°C
Why You’ll Love This Egg Muffin Cups
- Grab and go. They reheat in under a minute and can be eaten with one hand.
- Not rubbery. Cottage cheese keeps baked eggs tender, even after reheating.
- Freezer-friendly. Freeze a batch and breakfast is ready for a month.
Ingredient Notes
Small-curd cottage cheese whisks into the eggs most evenly. It melts as the cups bake and keeps them moist.
Use bulk turkey breakfast sausage, or remove the casings from links. Cook it fully before it goes into the cups.
Chop the spinach and bell pepper small so every cup gets some. Sauté watery vegetables such as mushrooms or zucchini first.
The recipe card below lists every quantity in one place.
How to Make Make-Ahead Egg Muffin Cups
Cook the sausage and fill the cups
Brown the turkey sausage, then divide it, the spinach, bell pepper and cheddar among the greased muffin cups.
Pour, bake and store
Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese and seasonings, pour over the fillings and bake until puffed and set.
Photos in this article are AI-generated illustrations of the recipe, created for AllRecipeEasy.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Grease the pan well. Eggs stick. Use cooking spray generously, or silicone muffin liners.
- Fill three-quarters full. The cups puff as they bake and sink a little as they cool.
- Do not overbake. Take them out when the centers are just set. Overbaked eggs turn rubbery when reheated.
- Cool before storing. Let them cool for 10 minutes so steam does not make them soggy in the container.
Substitutions and Variations
- Meat: Use cooked crumbled bacon, diced ham or chicken sausage. Leave the meat out for a vegetarian version; protein drops by about 7 g per serving.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, green onion, tomato or sautéed mushrooms all work.
- Cheese: Swap cheddar for pepper jack, feta or Swiss.
- Egg whites: Replace 4 of the eggs with ¾ cup liquid egg whites for a leaner cup.
Budget Tips
A dozen eggs, half a pound of sausage and the end of a bag of spinach make six breakfasts for a fraction of the price of drive-through sandwiches. Use whatever vegetables and cheese are left in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Eat two cups by themselves, or tuck them into an English muffin with hot sauce. For more make-ahead breakfasts, rotate these with high-protein breakfast burritos, a cottage cheese egg bake or cottage cheese overnight oats. The full list is in our breakfast recipes.
Storage, Reheating and Meal Prep
Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 4 days. Reheat two cups in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, until hot. To freeze, cool completely, freeze on a tray, then bag for up to 3 months; reheat from frozen for 60 to 90 seconds.
Food safety: Cook the turkey sausage to 165°F / 74°C and bake the egg cups until the centers reach 160°F / 71°C. Reheat leftovers until steaming hot.
Recipe Questions
How long do egg muffin cups last in the fridge?
Up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freeze any you will not eat by then.
Can you freeze egg muffin cups?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze them on a tray first so they do not stick together, then reheat from frozen in the microwave.
Why are my egg muffins rubbery or watery?
Rubbery cups were baked too long. Watery cups usually come from raw high-moisture vegetables; sauté those first and drain them.
What are other easy make-ahead breakfasts?
Breakfast burritos, egg bakes and overnight oats all keep for days. The links above go to our versions of each.
Make-Ahead Egg Muffin Cups
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F / 190°C and coat a 12-cup muffin tin generously with cooking spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the turkey sausage for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and 165°F / 74°C.
- Divide the sausage, spinach, bell pepper and cheddar among the muffin cups.
- Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pour into the cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until puffed and set in the center (160°F / 71°C). Cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around each cup to release.