These sausage and kale make ahead egg muffins are a low carb, grain free, high protein breakfast that you can make ahead and store in the fridge. On busy mornings, just heat them up and have a quick healthy breakfast.
Oh hey guys, heeeeey. How was your holiday season? Well, technically it is still the holiday season, I guess, we do still have New Years. I have to say that as much as I love the holidays, I am pretty ready for the new year. I’m ready for vegetables and exercise and routine. Yeah, I’m ready for that NOW, ask me again in two days how I feel and I will most likely tell you that I am ready for bacon wrapped dates and wine. And a cookie, probably. Again, it is a good thing that we still have New Years, let’s ease back into this whole “healthy lifestyle” thing, OK?
So, I will be bringing you a cocktail and an appetizer this week, but we are going to start out with a healthy breakfast option to start mulling over for the new year. You don’t have to make it now, but you might want to make it next weekend so that you can start January off with a bang. My make ahead egg muffins are actually one of the most popular recipes on this site, and for good reason. How many times have you skipped breakfast because you were running late and just didn’t have time? And then you were starving at 10am so you went to the coffee shop and bought the biggest pastry you could find? Yes, that is me, and yes, more times than I would like to admit. Mr. Briar and I started making these make ahead egg muffins a few years ago and it seriously changed our life. Well, our weekday breakfast life, which is still kind of big deal.
The recipe I shared a few months ago is our go to recipe, but I wanted to add a little variety in there so I came up with this variation. And OF COURSE it was sausage and kale because sausage and kale were MFEO (Que Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle grimacing while saying “MADE for each other”). This variation is nice because it amps up the protein and lets you get some greens in the morning, which is especially nice if green smoothies aren’t really your thing.
These are just as convenient as the original recipe though, and it is super easy to whip up a batch and then have a grab and go breakfast at the ready for the entire week. I store mine in the fridge and they are usually good for about five days, I can’t say if they last longer than that. I am also going to freeze a few to see how they hold up, I will report back on the results. In the morning, we just microwave them for 30 seconds and have an instant hot breakfast to bring with us as we run out the door. I always make 10 muffins so that Mr. Briar and I can have 1 each day Monday though Friday. You can of course alter this to make as many or as few as you want, it is really easy to do because 1 egg = 1 muffin. So how ever many muffins you want, that is how many eggs to use.
AND I mentioned this in my other post, but I do highly recommend using THESE parchment paper baking cups. I always use them and they work amazingly well. The one time I ran out of them and tried to use regular paper cupcake wrappers it was a disaster. The eggs totally stuck to the paper and it was horrible. The parchment paper wrappers come right off, they are amazing (and they work great for muffins and cupcakes too). I have a hard time finding these in the regular grocery store, so I always order them on Amazon. (PS – that is an affiliate link). I would NOT recommend using regular paper liners for this recipe, as I have not had good results with them.
For the preparation of the filling, I ended up using about 1/3 of a pound of sausage and about 4 cups of chopped kale. I normally hate using such arbitrary amounts of ingredients, but you want there to be enough room in each muffin tin for the egg, so fill each muffin tin only about halfway with the sausage and kale. I decided to keep the sausage and the kale separate so that I could control how much of each was in each muffin, but that is up to you, you might not be as much of a control freak as I am. If I were making these (and I did) I would just brown the whole pound of sausage and cook the whole bunch of kale and save the leftovers for my dinner, like, oh, I don’t know, in THIS maybe?
Sausage and Kale Make Ahead Egg Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/3 pound hot italian sausage
- 4 cups kale roughly chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 10 eggs scrambled, seasoned with salt and pepper
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners, set aside.
- In large pan over medium high heat, brown sausage until cooked through.
- Reduce heat to medium. Remove sausage from pan, reserve about 1 tablepsoon of the fat from the sausage to cook the shallot. If there is not enough fat from the sausage, add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the shallot and cook for a few minutes, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add the kale and a pinch of salt, carefuly stir to mix with the shallot. Cook until kale is wilted down but still bright green, about five minutes. Remove from heat.
- Evenly divide the shallot and kale mixture between the muffin liners, then top each with some sausage. Each muffin liner should be about halfway filled with the kale and sausage.
- Pour the scrambled eggs into each muffin liner, evenly dividing between each. It is OK to fill them to the top, just be careful not to go over the edge.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the muffins are puffed up and set on top (they may be shiny, but will no longer be liquid).
- Remove from oven and immediately remove from the muffin tin and cool on a wire rack.
- Allow to cool completely before transfering to the refrigerator. Store in the refigerator for up to five days.
- To reheat, microwave for about 30 seconds.
Notes
**For gluten free, be sure your sausage is gluten free!
***These can bre frozen, but I prefer to make enough for the week and store in the fridge. These keep in the fridge for up to five days.
Nutrition
Adapted from my Make Ahead Egg Muffins
Are you ready to get back into the swing of things, or do you want the holidays to last forever and ever?
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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase the items I recommend through the links I provide, I get a small commission. For more info, please see my disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Fox and Briar!
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Carolyn says
This sound delicious, the perfect on the go and healthy breakfast option!
Meghan says
Thank you Carolyn!
crystal faulkner says
I love recipes like this. It’s put together so well! Thank you for sharing.
Meghan says
Thank you Crystal! So glad you loved it!
jANET says
i AM NOT A VERY experienced COOK. I FOLLOWED YOUR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER WHICH INCLUDED ADDING SCRAMBLED EGGS TO THE CUPS WHICH i THOUGH WAS ODD BECAUSE i DIDN’T SEE WHY YOU WOULD NEED TO BAKE FOR 15 MINS. i WAS WORKING FROM THE PRINTED RECIPE AND DIDN’T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE PICTURES SO i SCRAMBLED THE EGGS TO A SOFT CONSISTANCY AND THEN ADDED TO THE CUP. nOW LOOKING BACK, i THINK YOU INTENDED TO WRITE ADD “WHIPPED” EGGS.
i’LL TRY THIS AGAIN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER AND UNSCRAMBLED EGGS NEXT TIME.
jANET says
i WASN’T TRYING TO SCREAM IN THE PREVIOUS MESSAGE, THE CAPS LOCK IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, IT WAS SHOWING AS lower case on my side. yOU CAN JUST DELETE MY PREVIOUS MESSAGE.
tHANK YOU.
Lindsey says
“…add scrambled eggs…” Yep! lol! You followed the directions. lol!
Thanks for the good chuckle! I hope she changes the directions so other “directions-to-the-T followers” don’t get let astray.
Try them without cooking the eggs first! I just did and they are so good. I added sauteed bell peppers, onions, and garlic as well.
Meghan says
Sounds delicious! Thanks Lindsay 🙂
Meghan says
Hi Janet – yes, that is correct! Whipped, not scrambled. I hope you give it another try!
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry says
I love this idea, Meghan! Not so much because I skip breakfast but because I usually have a second breakfast (or I guess you could call it a really early morning tea) mid-morning as I get VERY peckish around 8 or 9am. These would be perfect as for me that’s just too early for a sweet snack (n.b. excluding Christmas time, during which brownies are allowed at ANY hour in our house!!), so eggs would really hit the spot. PS. I love Sleepless in Seattle! I cry every time at the end!
Meghan says
Yes, it is perfect for that Lisa! Even if you don’t eat breakfast first thing, they are great for a mid morning snack since they are small and pretty low calorie too! I ate my share of cookies for snacks all day every day during Christmas, so I hear you on the brownies 🙂
Adina says
The muffins sound great, I think my husband would love to take some to work in the morning, he never has time for breakfast at home. I looked at Amazon Germany for the baking papers, they cost 69 Euros (75 dollars) + shipping. Can you believe that? I will have to do without!
Meghan says
Wow, Adina, that is crazy that they would charge that much! I mean, they are great, but not that great! In the US they are only about $5/box. I would say give this a shot and just be sure to very liberally grease your muffin tins with oil or butter. Do you have the silicon baking cups? I have never used those so I don’t know how they would do, but those might work as well. Let me know if you try them!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
These look delicious and love that pouring shot!!
Meghan says
Thank you Ami! Santa brought me a tripod, which makes pour shots much easier! 🙂
Melanie @ Melanie Cooks says
It’s always difficult to come up with low carb breakfast ideas aside from the usual omelettes 🙂 This one is low carb, gluten-free, make-ahead, portable and delicious – that makes it an absolute winner! It even includes kale – super healthy! And thanks for the idea of the parchment paper baking cups – I’ll have to give them a try, I’m a big fan of parchment paper but haven’t seen it in a baking cup form!
Meghan says
Thank you so much Melanie! It really is a life saver in breakfast form. The parchment paper cups are so great, I can’t live without them! Definitley give them a try!
Jess @ Sweetest Menu says
This is totally what I need after all the garbage I’ve eaten over Christmas. They are so cute too! Perfect for breakfast on the go!
Meghan says
You and me both sister! I don’t even KNOW how many cookies I ate 🙂 Thank you Jess!
Ashley says
I love make ahead savory breakfast dishes like this! I’m ready for routine again … I love having a break for the holidays but by now I’m definitely ready for normal!
Meghan says
Right? I sort of hate the routine when I’m in it, but then I miss it 🙂 Thank you Ashley!
E.A. says
Sounds like a winner! I’m totally ready to slip into healthy eating again & we love the concept of “grab & go” healthy breakfast…also feel like “Sleeless In Seattle” is one of the BEST go to movies! Like visiting old friends!! ❤️
Thank you for sharing~~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Meghan says
I know you aren’t much of a breakfast person but this might help! We should watch Sleepless in Seattle when you are here!
Linda | The Baker Who Kerns says
Oh my goodness sausage and kale are seriously made for each other! I need to watch Sleepless in Seattle again, you’ve totally reminded me to do that ASAP. We need a little Meg Ryan in our lives as well as Tom Hanks – back in the day when he was the ‘hot guy with issues’.
Meghan says
MEG RYAN AND T-HANKS FOREVER! Speaking of MFEO 🙂 Yes, we should all go watch Sleepless now, I think I can squeeze it in between Harry Potter and the the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. My New Years Day is set. 🙂 Thank you Linda!
annie says
Oh these are perfect! I’m so bad about getting in a healthy breakfast, so a protein-packed to go meal is a great option. I can’t wait to try them out. Also, love you for quoting Sleepless, it was one of my first chick flicks. Gaby Hoffman was awesome with her little 90’s acronyms.
Meghan says
Yes, these are so great if you are usually too busy for breakfast. And the orginal recipe is vegetarian! Haha, Sleepless in Seatle was one of my first chick clicks too, and I am such a big fan of 90s Meg Ryan movies 🙂