Ham and Cheese Egg Muffins with Broccoli

These Ham and Cheese Egg Muffins are packed with cheesy goodness, high in protein, low in carbs, and sneak in the most delicious veggies! They take minutes to throw together with only a few simple and unfussy ingredients. With so much going for them, these muffins are sure to be a grand slam in your home just like they are in mine!

this Recipe

 

Ham and Cheese Egg Cups – The EASY Way!

One of my favorite ways to make sure we all get a filling and satisfying breakfast even during busy weeks is to prep these ham and cheese egg muffins. What I love most about them is how quick they are and that everyone raves about them because they are packed with comforting and familiar flavors.

These little baked egg cups pack in two types of vegetables, use a combination of whole eggs and egg whites to keep them high in protein and low in carbs, and are insanely versatile. They can be eaten on their own as part of a large brunch, on the go, or used in a breakfast sandwich, taco, or any other way you can think of! Bonus- they freeze well for meal prep too!

Why I LOVE this recipe!

• Everyone loves them – Anytime I make these ham egg and cheese cups, the family says I need to make them more often because they are just that good.
• Customizeable – It is also super easy to customize these in case you have any picky eaters. Just leave out or add an ingredient to a few of the cups.
• Easy to throw together – Just chop, mix, and bake. I mean, is there anything easier?
• No fussy ingredients – While I love this particular combination of ingredients, you can use what you have. Any leftover ham, any cheese, frozen or fresh broccoli to make these egg cups and the recipe will still turn out great!
• GREAT meal prep – Ham and cheese egg bites save SUPER well in the freezer. When it was just me and my husband, we would make a batch of these and eat a few a day throughout the week. You can have 1 or 2 and then put the rest away or serve the whole tray. You can also quickly double or even triple the batch to always have some on hand or feed a soccer team.
• Perfect to use leftovers – Not only do these make versatile leftovers, but they are also great for using leftovers. Got extra ham from Easter in the freezer? Use that! Have leftover ham from a baby shower? That will work too!

What to Serve with Egg Ham Cheese Muffins

Since this dish has classic breakfast flavors, it will pair well with many of your other favorite breakfast dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.

Breakfast Side Dish Ideas

• French Toast Muffins – sweet and savory is what I am all about!
• Million Dollar Bacon – I am not sure you can have breakfast without bacon… This bacon is seriously the best – so crisp and so easy!
• Oven Bacon – This secret trick makes the best crispy bacon every time- mess free!
• Fruit – you can pair it with berries, or a whole fruit salad.
• Mile High Biscuits– These are so easy and perfect if you want a bread to pair with the eggs. (Also they really are the tallest biscuits ever!)
• Hashbrown Casserole– This potato dish is one of our all time favorite breakfast sides.

You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner. 

Recipe Notes

This breakfast egg muffins recipe is as simple as promised! Just 20 minutes for a family friendly breakfast.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Eggs and Egg Whites – To keep these ham cheese egg cups high protein and low carb, I like to use a mixture of whole eggs and egg whites. You can easily separate out the egg whites from egg yolks and save the yolks for later for another recipe like mousse or chocolate chip cookies, or just use egg whites in a carton to make it quick.
  
• Ham – I use thick cut ham or spiral ham. But, you can certainly use lunch meat or deli ham that is thin or thick cut. This is absolutely perfect for ham that is either leftover from Christmas, Easter, or other holiday. The key is to make sure it is cut small enough. The pieces should be smaller than bite size, about 1/4″ to 1/3″ in size.
  
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – I always prefer to use sharp cheddar because you get more cheesy flavor with less cheese. You could use just about any kind of cheese though. This could be mozzarella, a Mexican blend, pepper jack, or anything else you have on hand.
  
• Broccoli – Frozen or fresh broccoli can be used and neither will change the flavor or cook time from the other. Again, just make sure it is cut up super small so it becomes tender and cooks all the way through.
  
• Red Bell Pepper – I like red bell pepper because it is the sweetest of the bell peppers. You can use any color you have though. Just be sure to cut them up small, the same size as the broccoli and ham.
  
• Salt and Pepper

Recipe Tips

1. Chop small, like really small – This recipe is beyond amazing because with every bite, you get a little bit of everything. That being said, you must cut everything smaller than bite size for this to work. This should be about 1/3″ to 1/4″ in size.
   
   The other reason this is important is so that the ingredients can cook at the same rate as the eggs. Bigger veggies will take longer to cook and may still be crunchy.
   
2. Pay attention to cook time – Every muffin tin will vary slightly in size depending on the brand. So when you cook them, pay attention to them as they cook because the time will vary slightly depending on the size of the muffin tins. I check by gently shaking the baking tray to see if there is a slight jiggle but still solid.
   
3. Don’t overfill – I fill the muffins tins 3/4ths full so there is room for them to grow. While they will not rise much, they will rise a little bit so it is important to leave space for them to expand.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

• Prep the fillings – Because this recipe goes the quickest if everything is prepped, you can save time by chopping all of the vegetables and ham up to two days in advance. If using all fresh vegetables, you can store them with the ham in the fridge.
  
• Make the egg mixture – I will mix the eggs, egg whites, and salt and pepper in a mason jar and store in the fridge for up to two days prior to using.
  
• Make in advance – You can make these muffin cups and store in the fridge for the week or double the recipe and store half in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

• Green Chili Egg Cups – To make this variation, swap out the broccoli for a can of diced green chilis and the cheddar cheese for white cheddar. Then make as directed.
  
• Vegetarian Egg Cups – For a vegetarian version, simply leave the ham out of this recipe.
  
• Ham and Cheese Egg Bake with Hash Browns – Why have hash browns on the side when you can have them in the egg cups?! You can mix in frozen hash browns to these egg cups and then bake as directed.

Freezer Meal Instructions

Making these ham and cheese egg muffins recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.

1. Make the muffins as directed and let them cool completely.
2. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or foil and then place in a freezer safe bag. Alternatively, you can store them together in a disposable baking tray covered in foil and stored in a freezer safe bag.
3. When ready to eat, simply place either individual ones or the entire tray in the oven until heated through. You can also reheat individuals in the microwave by heating them for 1 minute per muffin.

Egg Muffin Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making these broccoli ham and cheese egg muffins, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• in the freezer up to 6 months

Leftover Recipes

Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!

• Ham Egg and Cheese Sandwich – These egg cups make a great filling for an egg sandwich. Simply use the egg muffin and sandwich between pieces of toasted English muffin.
• Breakfast Taco – Another tasty way to use leftovers! For these tacos, I like to dice up the egg cups and crumble into the tortillas. Then you can top with avocado and salsa.
• Breakfast Bombs – We make these a lot at the house. They are basically scrambled eggs wrapped in biscuit dough. So, to use these ham cheese egg cups for this recipe, simply chop them up and use them in place of the called for scrambled eggs in the recipe.

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my easy breakfast recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

• Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
• Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole
• Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole
• Breakfast Casserole with Bacon