Hash Brown Breakfast Cups
This Hash Brown Breakfast Cups recipe is an all-in-one meal. In a single muffin cup, you have a crispy hash brown crust filled with bacon, sautéed vegetables including baby spinach, peppers and onions, melted cheese, and a perfectly cooked egg.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 371kcal
Equipment
- 1 6-cup muffin tin Alternatively, you can use a 12-cup muffin tin.
Ingredients
- 1 pound shredded potatoes, approximately 3 1/2 cups I used thawed frozen shredded potatoes.
- 2 large egg whites You can add the extra yolks into two of the hash brown breakfast cups, if desired.
- 3 tbsp butter, melted You will need additional butter to grease muffin tin cups.
- 1 tsp sea salt, fine-ground, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided
- 1 tbsp butter Alternatively, you can use olive oil.
- 1 onion, any variety, peeled and chopped I used a red onion.
- 1 bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped I used a red bell pepper.
- 8 ounces bacon, cooked crisp and chopped, approximately. 1 cup Alternatively, you can use cooked crumbled sausage, ground beef, or chopped deli ham.
- 2 cups baby spinach, fresh
- 1 1/2 cups cheese, grated Any variety or combination
- 6 large eggs
- salt and pepper, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F (246°C).
- Generously butter muffin tin cups.
- Place the shredded potatoes in a large bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
- Pour the melted butter over the shredded potatoes and mix well.
- Whisk the egg whites until light and aerated, pour the egg whites on top of the shredded potatoes, and mix well.
- Evenly divide the shredded potatoes into each of the individual muffin cups. Firmly press the shredded potatoes into the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cups. These are the hash brown cups.
- Place the muffin tin on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the edges of the potatoes begin to brown and the sides and centers of the potatoes are golden. Remove from the oven and place the muffin tin on a heatproof surface.
- While the hash brown cups are baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Sauté the onion and bell pepper on medium heat until soft. Approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the bacon and baby spinach to the skillet and sauté until the spinach wilts.
- Remove the skillet from the heat to a heatproof surface and evenly divide the sautéd mixture among the baked hash brown cups.
- Divide the grated cheese evenly among each baked hash brown cup on top of the sautéd mixture. Then crack one egg into each cup on top of the cheese. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Return the muffin tin to the middle rack of the oven and bake until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny. (The yolk will jiggle when you move the muffin tin back and forth, and the whites will no longer be translucent.) This process will take anywhere from 5-7 minutes. If you prefer your yolks to be firmer, bake for 9 minutes or longer, checking on the consistency periodically until the yolks are to your liking.
- Hash Brown Breakfast cups are best eaten right out of the oven. But leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To rewarm, place in a 350°F (177°C) oven until warmed through.
Video
Notes
- Buttered Muffin Cups: Be sure to butter your muffin cups very well, even if you are using a non-stick muffin tin.
- Initial Baking: When initially baking the hash brown cups, watch them closely and make sure they only turn golden and not brown. They are baked twice, so you do not want them to burn.
- Chopping: When chopping your onion and bell pepper, make sure they are bite-sized pieces. This will guarantee that everything will fit nicely into your hash brown cups.
- Egg Cooking Time: For sunny side up eggs, cook five to seven minutes. For over easy eggs, cook seven to nine minutes. For over hard eggs, cook over nine minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 1295mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2280IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 2mg