Check out these spinach and mushroom breakfast muffins that are an easy meal prep option for an on-the-go breakfast!
Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day?
I’m sure we’ve all heard this throughout our lives, but is it really that important to eat breakfast? Let’s talk a little bit about how our metabolism works and why you might not want to skip the first meal of the day. First let’s look at a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that revs up the body in the “fight or flight” response. Basically, we have old evolutionary systems to keep us alive to run or fight danger. Besides, getting ready to fight, cortisol has a natural daily cycle that is linked to sleep. Cortisol levels decline over the day and are lowest in the evening when we need to go to bed. They they spike in the early morning and play a role in waking us up.
Cortisol and Blood Sugar
One of the many things cortisol cortisol controls is blood sugar levels. If you need to run from an attack, your muscles are going to need a quick shot of sugar (glucose) that they can use as energy. So, cortisol causes your body to use its sugar stores and increase your blood glucose levels. When you wake up in the morning (assuming in this example you don’t have diabetes), your cortisol levels are the highest which means your blood sugar level is kept up overnight and a normal fasting blood sugar below 99 mg/dL is normal.
You have the energy source in your blood but your body will quickly use up what its got, so you need to add more energy on board! Of course, in a healthy person if you don’t eat your body has stores it can access but that takes time. In the meantime, you might feel like you are going to crash. By eating breakfast, you give your body the energy it needs for the day. Including fat and fiber slow down the absorption of the sugar into your blood and help you stay constant throughout the day instead of crashing.
Fun fact: Your brain uses about 2/3 of your daily glucose requirements which is why schools always wanted you to eat breakfast before standardized tests! How are you going to preform your best if your brain doesn’t have the fuel it needs!
Spinach and Mushroom Breakfast Muffins
Now that we understand some the the science, let’s talk about a great breakfast option that will give you fuel and keep you feeling full. I love these spinach and mushroom breakfast muffins because they can be prepped ahead of time and frozen. Then you can easily warm them up in the microwave and take them to go! Eggs are such a great breakfast option because they have fat and protein to keep you full. Plus, they are a good source of choline which is good for your memory and mood.
Have you heard to limit your egg intake because of cholesterol? Don’t worry, that’s old thinking. While eggs do contain cholesterol, it seems that dietary cholesterol isn’t really absorbed by the digestive system. The real problem is the cholesterol our own body makes from refined carbohydrates. So, eating eggs is better than a highly processed waffle for breakfast in my opinion.
Making the Breakfast Muffins
Frozen Hash Browns
You can use freshly grated potatoes if you’d like, but to cut down on prep time I’d recommend getting prepared hash browns. I tested this recipe both with cooked and uncooked potatoes. I would highly recommend frying up the hash browns. While this takes a bit longer, it really makes the overall flavor better. The uncooked potatoes tasted like uncooked potatoes even after I baked them. Get them nice and crispy so they taste good and make a nice base layer for the muffins.
Vegetable Options
I went with the classic omelet combo spinach and mushroom, and it did not disappoint. If you finely chop the mushrooms they cook through in the oven without a problem. I wanted to keep the prep on these as low as possible but you could also add some sautéed onion and fresh garlic if you wanted. Really you could go with any veggie combo you were feeling. There are no rules here!
Substitutions
You can easily make this recipe dairy free by using any non-dairy milk. In fact, I made mine with oat milk since nobody in my house uses dairy milk. You could just omit the cheese or you could use your favorite non-dairy shreds in place.
I have not tested this specific recipe with Just egg, but I have baked it in my breakfast casserole recipe. It bakes nicely, so you could try substituting Just egg in for a vegan option.
Storage
Once these muffins are baked, you can store them in the fridge for about a week. You can also freeze them so they’ll last even longer. Once they are cooled, place parchment paper between muffins, so they don’t all freeze together. Then, you can easily take out however many you want and microwave them for about 90 seconds or until warm.
Spinach and Mushroom Breakfast Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin Pan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 cups frozen hash browns (290g)
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms (150g)
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 7 large eggs
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup shredded cheese + more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add about 1 tbsp of neutral oil. Cook the frozen hash browns according to package directions or until crispy and brown. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the eggs and milk together until the eggs are fully mixed and a bit bubbly. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Once mixed, add the chopped mushrooms, spinach, and shredded cheese. Fold in to cover the vegetables in the egg mixture.
- In a muffin tin, divide the cooked hash browns up to cover the bottom of each of the muffins. The oil used to cook the hash browns should be enough to keep the muffins from sticking, but you can use silicone liners to make it easier to take them on the go.
- Scoop about 1/4 cup of the egg mixture into each of the muffins. Make sure to mix it up and get a good scoop of veggies and egg.
- Top the filled muffins with extra shredded cheese as desired.
- Bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from the muffin tin.
- Store in the fridge for about 1 week or freezer for about 3 months.