Simple & Quick: Paleo "Muffins"

I don't stick to a paleo diet, but some of my favorite recipes are of the paleo flavor, including this super simple breakfast recipe I am sharing with you today.

I don't know about you, but I'm not an early riser.  I'm more of a night owl and prefer not to be up and functioning before 8am.  Now, that doesn't always work out seeing as I have five children, one of whom still nurses every 2-4 hours (depending on her mood, whether she's teething, or if she's going through a growth spurt), but for the most part, we've organized our household in such a way that I can snuggle under the sheets until at least 7:30am and don't have to functioning on all four cylinders until 8. That gives me time to get the coffee brewed and sugared while I search for my glasses. Where did I put those things again?

Another little tidbit of information about our family.... I'm not big on cereal. It's not that I don't like cereal... I do.  We typically steer clear of 99% of boxed cereal because it's loaded with sugar, GMO's and other weird stuff, but I do buy some organic cereals for those days when I just can't seem to get my engine running, and the kids are wondering if they are going to starve.  Still, just because something is organic doesn't mean its actually good for you, and I feel like cereal, morning after morning, is just a little bit too much grain. Like I said, I'm not paleo, but I do believe that it's not good for a diet to be overloaded with one specific food, especially wheat and gluten. If the kids had cereal every morning, a sandwich for lunch, and something with a side of bread every evening, that would be overkill- and that's exactly what we used to do.  Since wheat and gluten allergies seem to run in my family (my mom has a wheat allergy, my dad has a gluten intolerance), it's probably wise that I don't go overboard on it, right?

So, back to where I was- when the sun rises and children begin wandering around, climbing in and out of my bed and poking at me wondering what's for breakfast, I need a quick answer.  Paleo "Muffins" are it.  First of all, they are so very simple to make.  Secondly, you could make them ahead of time and reheat, so you could give your husband the idea that you're an excellent housewife by providing a hot, filling breakfast for him in the morning with minimal work on your part.  I love stuff like that.

Now, pay attention.

Preheat your oven to 350F.
Get out your muffin tin.  I line mine with those pretty silicone cups. Spritz them with some oil, m'kay?

Now think- what sort of deliciousness do you like in your omelets or scrambled eggs?  Got some bacon bits?  Maybe some sausage?  Cubed ham from last night?

What else.... chopped spinach? Green onions?  Jalapenos? A little salsa maybe?

Here's how it works.
I like to put the meat down first- this time I sliced up some smoked sausage and layered it in the bottom of each cup.  Then I sprinkled a little chopped frozen spinach on top. I cracked each egg into a small glass bowl- I would crack the egg into the bowl, season it, scramble it with a fork, and pour it in the muffin tin one by one.  You could crack all the eggs into a large bowl, season them, but it's one egg per muffin cup, so that seems the smartest way, for me personally, to make sure it's even.

Also, the nice thing about this is that you could cater to each person's likes and dislikes.  I like jalapenos on top, my kids don't.  Maybe one person wants theirs with salsa and bacon and another prefers sausage and onions- it's very easy to customize each cup without a big hassle.

I like mine with a little maple syrup.  Mmmmmm.

Where was I again?

Oh right. If you're making these a head of time, be sure to pull them out a bit early so they are still a little overly moist. If you plan on microwaving them, you don't want them dried out.

So, the run down-  Oven, 350F.  1 egg per muffin cup. 20-25 minutes.  Viola!

Parm and jalapenos?  Yum!

Enjoy!  Let me know what your favorite egg muffin fixin's are!