These easy, frugal “muffins” are protein-packed, gluten-free, make-ahead and freezer-friendly. Also – very DELICIOUS.
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While trying to save money and eat clean protein, I came to love eggs. They’re inexpensive, nutritious, and easy to cook. Even if you buy the best eggs nature and farmers have to offer – free-range, local, organic, pampered chickens – a dozen eggs costs the same or less than a latte from the coffee shop.
These Egg & Cheese Muffins are the perfect easy, homemade, protein-packed, on-the-go breakfasts – perfect for making ahead, freezing, reheating, eating fresh (or cold). Eat by itself or with seasonal fruit, oatmeal (try this simple baked oatmeal), or other carby breakfast sides. DELICIOUS.
Easy Egg & Cheese Muffins
Scrambled eggs are easy enough to make, but what if you only have 5 -minutes to whip something together for the family? Or you are trying to maximize your meal prepping time? Egg & Cheese muffins take about 5 minutes to stir together then pop in the oven.
They aren’t just scrambled eggs poured into muffin liners. The parmesan cheese makes them savory and filling enough for lunch or dinner, but still very budget-friendly.
Add sautéed veggies or crumbled sausage (try this 5-ingredient homemade!)
Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipe
We make a batch of these at the beginning of the week (maybe during a budget-friendly meal prepping session), and we can eat them for breakfast all week. Or we use them for packed lunches, meatless dinners, or a filling mid-afternoon snack.
There is no right way to eat these egg and cheese muffins – they’re just delicious.
If you don’t care about cute muffin-shaped food (FACT: muffin-shaped food always tastes more delicious), or you need something even easier, just pour these into a greased baking dish. I honestly prefer this method, because it’s easier, and the egg doesn’t stick to the liners.
If you use a baking dish, it becomes more of a frittata-type breakfast. But that’s delicious too, so I’m not complaining.
How to Make Egg & Cheese Muffins
To make these muffins, you only need 7 ingredients:
- One dozen eggs
- Cheddar cheese (or whatever odds and ends of cheese are lurking in your fridge)
- Parmesan cheese (don’t skip this. It’s the best part)
- Oregano
- Basil
- Salt
- Pepper
Then you literally just mix them all together, pour them into muffin tins (or a baking dish) and bake until cooked through. The end.
These Egg and Cheese Muffins are:
- Easy
- Freezer-friendly
- Make-ahead
- Protein-packed
- Kid-approved
- Travel-friendly
- Keto-friendly
- Paleo
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #cheapskatecook and @cheapskatecook on Instagram.
5-Minute Egg & Cheese Muffins
These easy egg muffins refrigerate and freeze well, making them an ideal make-ahead, protein-packed breakfast.
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, (or other cheese)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp basil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners (I don’t recommend skipping the liners – these babies stick to the pan) and lightly grease the liners and the top of the pan to prevent the puffy muffin tops from sticking to the edges.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and distribute the batter evenly between 12 muffins liners.
- Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown and egg is cooked through.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and enjoying.
Notes
Variations:
Add any or all of the following for a delicious flavor twist!
- 1/2 pound bacon or sausage, crumbled
- 1-2 cups diced veggies - spinach, sautéed onions, peppers, and tomatoes are all great options.
Frittata Version:
If you don't care about cute muffin-shaped food (FACT: muffin-shaped food always tastes more delicious), or you need something even easier, just pour these into a greased baking dish. and bake for 20-30 minutes. I honestly prefer this method, because it's easier, and the egg doesn't stick to the liners!
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Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1 muffinAmount Per Serving Calories 176Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 209mgSodium 356mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 13g
Please note: The actual calories and nutrition of this dish will change depending on what ingredients you use. Nutrition information is not always accurate.
Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas:
- Allergy-free Baked Oatmeal (no weird ingredients!)
- Breakfast Apple Crisp
- Easy Vegetable Frittata
- Overnight Oats for a Crowd
- Sneaky Veggie Baked Oatmeal
What You Can Do Now:
Would you try these muffins for meal prepping?
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I love these! They are so good. Especially with a hot cup of coffee.
Made these today! They are so delicious! What a super simple recipe.
Yay! I’m glad you like them!
We’ve made two versions now with bacon and cheddar, and ham and Swiss. Big hits! I knocked a few minutes off the cook time because mine were a little rubbery the first time. I’m putting these and your baked oatmeal in my “make once a week” rotation. Super easy to reheat for busy mornings. Thank you!
Awesome, Nicole! Glad you were able to make it your own – and that they made your weekly rotation. That’s a huge compliment!
Fyi, we dont like eggs frozen and reheated, theyve got a weird sponge like texture. So make this and stick just a few in the freezer to try. You may be lucky and like them but you wont waste a whole recipe if you dont. They ARE edible, just not at all enjoyable. I cant do make ahead quiche, egg bakes, scrambled eggs, anything beyond frizen breakfast burritos as the tortilla masks the spongey texture…and theres not much egg in it anyway lol
Yep, always try something first. We like these reheated eggs just fine – maybe because there is plenty of cheese in them!
I’m super excited to try these! I don’t have time to
make a fresh batch daily so I’m looking forward to prepping and eating for the week! Thanks so much for the idea!
Awesome, Heather! I’m so happy!
I have to try these! Sounds delicious!
This is one of my favorite delicious make-ahead recipes… making this right now.
I’m so glad! They are SO delicious.
I started using the parchment liners for muffins and such, if you cant find them(Target Only for us so far) you can cut parchment into squares to fit your muffin tin then they won’t stick. Thank you for another wonderful affordable recipe that we can customize.
Love this easy recipe and I make it in a square Pyrex dish – so much easier than fiddling with muffin tins in my opinion.
Add whatever I might need to use up that’s sitting in my fridge. Great accompaniment to a fresh green salad ! Thank you.
Hi Bobbi! I’ve thought of adding an update to the recipe with the baking dish version because I love that too! I agree, so easy and delicious. Thanks for the comment!
Hi!
What size baking dish please? And…do you bake for the same amount of time?
Hi Denise! I would use an 8×8 inch pan and start with the baking time on the recipe, then check it and add more if necessary (just 5 min at a time)
Hi! These muffins were delicious, but they completely stuck to the muffin liners! I also added cream and ham to make them outstanding!
Hi Viv! That’s so frustrating! Sometimes spraying the liners helps. I also like to bake it in a baking dish when I don’t have good muffin liners on hand (don’t forget to spray tho!).
Made these today. I had a lot of leftover mixture. I’m afraid I’ve done something wrong. I used regular size muffin tins (12). Could it be because I added sausage?
Hi Paula!
Yes, I think adding the sausage increased how much egg mixture you had!