I’m sure I am not the only one for whom the alarm goes off in the morning and it is snooze, snooze, snooze until the ABSOLUTE last minute when you jump out of bed and run around throwing yourself together to get out the door and headed to wherever the day’s adventures lie. Even if that is just to work. My record so far is 20 minutes, but that was for a hike and because I was meeting a carpool (shower included!).
#eggs #groundpork #kale #broccoli #carrots #basil #garlic #greenonions #kalamataolives #hardcheese
One of things I started doing a few years ago to make sure I had something healthy to eat as I started my day so I wouldn’t resort to just a Larabar was to make Basil Sausage Egg Muffins filled with vegetables that I could have ready in the fridge or could pull out of the freezer the night before.
This recipe is a great example of how cooking often goes for me. It has 4 steps:
- Get an Idea
- Scrounge Through Fridge
- Get Lucky
- Eat.
This week’s “lucky” was basil, kale, green onions, broccoli, and carrots. A package of shredded cabbage did NOT make the cut. I draw the line at slimy. The eggs and kalamata olives (large jars at Costco) are staples in my fridge.
Oh, and the cheese. Not paleo but primal. I found some in the freezer. I keep it there because I don’t eat it often but it is nice every once in awhile. Especially on pizza. I have found that when raw aged hard cheese, like Asiago or Parmesan, comes from grass fed cows or sheep it does not have the same effect as CAFO dairy for me. It is totally optional for the recipe if you don’t tolerate dairy at all, I have made many a version without the cheese and they work just as well.
When you have staples that you always keep on hand as I do, it makes easy to supplement with fresh items you have managed to have time to pick up that week. I also spend a few hours once a week prepping a few things that I can throw in to meals as I go. This week that was some ground pastured pork from Blue Valley Meats that I cooked with an Italian spice mix and garlic.
Basically, I cut up or toss into the food processor whatever I have on hand and make everything into rather finely chopped pieces until I end up with a big bowl full of goodness.
This was about 5 cups when I was done. Feel free to play with your own amounts based on what you have as long as you have a total of 5 cups.
Some folks might break the eggs into a separate bowl and blend first, but I avoid washing dishes like the plague so I just do it all in the same bowl.
I carved out a center in the middle of the vegetables and added the eggs, then blended the eggs with a fork within that center. Then, I gradually stirred them into the vegetables. Using eight eggs is just enough to wet all the ingredients and bind them.
I didn’t have any muffin tin liners, so an internet search helped me figure out I could use parchment paper I already had to line the pans. It was super easy! You can find the directions in this tutorial. And if you are much more careful than I was filling the papers, they will even look pretty!
I filled the liners so the mixture was about level with the pan and baked in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until the tops were firm to the touch (no wiggle). You should even see a bubble or two.
This recipe makes about 12 Basil Sausage Egg Muffins and usually I freeze half of them for later. I will eat two for breakfast along with another portable food like a banana. If storing for the freezer, take them out of the paper first before putting them in an airtight container. The paper becomes part of the muffin once frozen and you will have extra fiber when you go to defrost them!
These Basil Sausage Egg Muffins helped me eat healthy on a trail skills weekend in the North Cascades awhile back. I just tossed them in the cooler and they were good to go!
Don’t be afraid to experiment with these muffins based on what you find in your own refrigerator. I have made many different versions, varying the vegetables, herbs and meat (or none at all), such as my Super Food Breakfast Egg Cups with spinach and Street Taco Mini Quiches with cilantro and bacon. Just stick with the five cups of goodies and eight eggs and you are sure to have success!
What could go better with these than some Huckleberry Scones? If you enjoyed this recipe, head over to my Hiking and Backpacking Paleo Index for over 75 tasty treats to take on your next outdoor adventure.
Basil Sausage Egg Muffins
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Keto, Nightshade Free, No Dehydrator Needed, Nut free, Paleo, Primal, Vegetarian, Whole Food
Servings: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup diced green onion
- 1/2 cup chopped basil
- 1 1/2 cup chopped kale
- 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- 1 cup cooked ground pork with Italian spices and garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated raw hard cheese parmesan, asiago, etc (optional)
- 8 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add all of the ingredients into food processor except the eggs until finely chopped and consistent in size. Move the mixture to a large bowl.
- Crack the eggs into a well in the middle of the vegetable mixture and whisk with a fork to blend. Then, stir the eggs into the vegetables with a large spoon until incorporated.
- Fill lined muffin tins to the top of the pan with the mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the tops are firm to the touch with no wiggle.
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