Yes, I was the person who still calls regular chicken nuggets, "mcnuggets" and egg sandwiches "egg mcmuffins" -- I guess that's just good advertising that has sunk into my subconscious as a child eating "happy meals." But I digress.
Anyway, onto an important topic for me is
eating healthy on the go. For anyone who works (be it at an office or a working mother at home) having time to actually make a healthy breakfast can seem nothing short of impossible. I don't even have kids, and finding time to make a nutritious breakfast for myself as I'm running out the door to head to work, can seem like a lost cause. I fell into a phase where breakfast was hitting up the Dunkin' Donut's drive thru every morning before work (or as I like to call it "dunkies") for my morning hazelnut coffee and bagel (sometimes donut) to scarf down quickly while working. Yeah -- not healthy. at. all. I always wished there was a "fast food" restaurant that offered only healthy foods like egg whites and smoothies but it seems like there's nothing like that out there, at least not around me.
So what's the solution for a busy girl/healthy breakfast on the run? The healthy egg mcmuffin of course. Just a half hour of prepping on the weekend and you have yourself frozen healthy choices in your freezer to grab as your heading out the door.
What you'll need:
egg whites (or eggs if you prefer)
whole wheat english muffins (I like ones from whole foods)
butter (to grease muffin tin)
muffin tin
tomatoes
spinach
feta cheese
(or make any variation of this muffin sandwich that you want. basically anything you can throw into an omelette would make a great egg sandwich. other variations I like include adding broccoli or any left over veggies from dinner, or plain egg whites with a slice of pepper jack cheese and Frank's Red Hot sauce -- so good)
prep your toppings -- chop and have everything ready.
also while prepping, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
important: you must grease the muffin tin or else the egg muffins will stick and pretty much be ruined. I found that a thin layer of regular butter works best, and I've never had a problem getting them out this way. I've also tried non-stick sprays like Pam and it didn't come out so well. Just trust me, stick with butter. pun intended ; )
Now time to fill the muffin tins with your fillings. I fill them to about the halfway point, putting the spinach in first, then the tomatoes, then a little bit of feta cheese. I go lightest on the feta since that would be the most unhealthy ingredient. But this is really the fun part where you can get creative and put anything you want in them. Left over broccoli and potatoes? Sure. Crumbled up bacon, heck yes! Except that bacon wouldn't fall under the category of healthy anymore. Boo.
Next, pour your egg whites (or beaten regular eggs) into the tin over your fillings. This should be filled about 3/4 of the way -- to make room for them to cook and rise a bit. It should look like this before you put them in the oven.
Bake in over at 350 degrees for about 20-22 minutes.
Again, everyone's oven might be a little different. If you want, stick it with a toothpick to make sure it's cooked. And when they are, they should look like this.
Let them cool for about 5 minutes them pop them out of the muffin tin with a fork to cool some more. Easy Peasy. Of if you're like me who can't wait -- eat one of these bad boys right away because they are that yummy. These are also great to make for breakfast or brunch when you have guests over. They are like little mini quiches and will surely please a crowd quickly. Serve with some skillet potatoes and some bubbly mimosas and you've got yourself a fab brunch: )
Now on to making and storing the sandwiches.
There are a few ways you can do this. You can freeze the egg muffins on their own, or you can freeze them as a whole sandwich. I like the whole sandwich because it's more convenient for me, and that's what this whole recipe was about. So I like to cut pieces of foil and arrange my english muffins and eggs like shown above.
then I squeeze down on the top of the muffin to distribute the egg within the sandwich. Because I hate having extra bread/bun and not enough "stuff" in the middle.
wrap 'em individually and seal in a freezer bag. Label and date them so you're not eating them years later because that's gross. These should keep for a few months but I assure you they only last a week or two at the most in my home.
If you have leftover eggs or not enough english muffins you can always freeze them like this and heat them up -- and then assemble on your sandwich. But it's totally up to you. Like I said, I like the whole sandwich together because it's the most convenient for me, and I can literally grab it and go when I'm heading out the door for work.
Reheating:
Most convenient for me is microwaving it for a minute each side and then letting it cool for a minute. Again, that's for my microwave so experiment with cooking times that work for you. You can also do this, and then toss it in a toaster oven for another minute or two to get a more "oven" baked taste and texture if you prefer -- but it's totally your preference.
Another method, but not always doable it putting it in the oven for 30 minutes. I know, you're thinking that's crazy and super inconvenient but it could work for you if you pop it in your oven when you take a shower and do your makeup, and then you'll have a hot egg sandwich waiting for you when you're ready to leave. Also a great method for those who are weary of microwaves or don't own one at all.
So that's one of my solutions for busy girl/healthy breakfasts to-go. I'll also be sharing my smoothie recipe which is my other go-to healthy breakfast option.
What's your favorite ways to eat a healthy breakfast on the go?
xo Steph
