Direct Support Professional

These easy-to-make High-Protein Meal Prep Egg cups are so savory and satiating. Best part is they’re perfect for reheating throughout the week for breakfast, lunch or a high-protein snack. Love that for all of us busy bees and mamas-to-be. I mean, what’s not to love about a recipe that’s easy, nutritious and delicious, but can also be made with ingredients you likely already have in your fridge? All you have to do is sauté your veggie mix-ins, blend up your fluffy egg mixture, top with a little cheese + green onion, and bake it all together in a muffin tin for 20 minutes. And I’m telling you, they come out so cute, colorful, and delicious. A HEALTHY-BUT-TASTY BALANCED MEAL I’m all about a balanced meal and love that these High-Protein Meal Prep Egg Cups are deliciously nourishing and customizable, allowing you to include your favorite mix-ins or what’s already in your fridge. I went with a handful of healthy-but-tasty ingredients that fuel both my body and taste buds. Eggs: known best as ‘nature’s multivitamin’, eggs are a high-quality, complete protein source that contain vitamins A, D, E, and B vitamins, plus DHA healthy fats, and minerals like choline, iron, folate and selenium. Chicken sausage: packs in even more protein and lots of flavor. Cottage cheese: also contributes to making these egg cups high-protein, plus supports bone health, provides good nutrition and essential amino acids. Red bell pepper + Green onions: red bell peppers are a good source of fiber, and both of these vibrant veggies are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and add the tastiest, nutritional boost. Baby spinach: high in potassium and rich in B vitamins + iron, adding baby spinach is the best way to not-so-sneakily sneak in some greens. Seasoned with salt + pepper, I topped my cutie little egg cups with some shredded goat cheddar and sliced green onions, and omg you guys, I’m obsessed! A MEAL PREP RECIPE ON REPEAT So I have a confession: I haven’t always been into meal prepping, but these High-Protein Meal Prep Egg Cups are so simple, nourishing and delish that I might be having a change of heart. I already know this will be a repeat recipe I turn to often when I enter the postpartum stage (so soon!). With endless possibilities for flavorful combinations, I know you’re going to love these too! And if you’re looking for more high-protein breakfast ideas, click here for a blog post I shared earlier this year with some of my go-to’s. And don’t forget to tell me what you think + any mix-in combos you try in the comment section below. Hope you enjoy! INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED: Mix-ins: Green onions Red bell pepper Kosher salt Dried oregano Freshly ground black pepper For the Egg Mixture: Pasture-raised eggs Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Topping: HOW TO MAKE MY HIGH-PROTEIN MEAL PREP EGG CUPS *Note: these work much better if you use a silicone muffin tin which makes the egg cups very easy to release from the pan. If you use a silicone mold, be sure to put it on a baking sheet before pouring the egg mixture in to reduce spilling. Preheat the oven to 375. Spray your muffin tin with avocado oil cooking spray and set aside. Mix-ins: In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the white parts of the green onions, and red bell pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes until the veggies start to soften. Add the sausage, salt, dried oregano, and pepper. Toss to combine and cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes or until the sausage begins to browns. Stir, and continue to cook until the sausage is browned on all sides. During the last minute of cooking, add in the spinach and toss to combine. Cook until the spinach is just wilted. Allow to cool before adding to the muffin tin. Once cooled to the touch, spoon even amounts of the veggie and sausage into the cups. Egg Cups: In a blender, add the eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper, and blend until fluffy and pale yellow. Carefully pour the egg mixture in the muffin tins, making sure not to overfill since the eggs will rise while baking. Top with the cheese and the green parts of the green onions. Transfer to the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes until the tops of the egg cups are golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from the muffin tin. Serve on its own or with a side of fresh berries and sourdough toast. Enjoy! To Store: Allow the egg cups to cool entirely before storing in an airtight container. They’ll last in the fridge for about 5 days and heat up great in a toaster oven. RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & QUESTIONS Feel free to customize the mix-ins as much as you’d like! You could go the broccoli-cheddar, or bacon + cheddar route. Spinach + feta is another simple but delish option, as well as a combo of any color bell pepper, jalapeño + shredded cheddar or jack cheese. All of these, plus more, are great ways to switch up the recipe a bit if you’re on-the-go and find yourself prepping these often. For the egg mixture, I used a lactose-free cottage cheese since I have a lactose-intolerance, but you could replace with milk (regular or dairy-free, like almond milk) to keep it fluffy. I haven’t tried this option, so you may need to play around with the measurement. WHY ADD COTTAGE CHEESE TO EGGS? Cottage cheese is added to eggs for a couple different reasons. It increases the protein content while helping to add to the flavor and texture, making them creamier and fluffier. It’s a great way to add that savory, slightly-cheesy taste while keeping the protein content high. WHY ARE MY EGG MUFFINS SOGGY? A mistake that’s sometimes made resulting in soggy egg muffins is not sauteing your vegetable mix-ins before adding to the egg mixture and baking. If you bake your egg cups with raw veggies mixed in, the excess moisture seeps out while baking, giving that soggy texture. Sauteing your vegetables before baking in the egg cups allows the moisture to cook out, so it’s definitely a step you don’t want to skip! Northwest Mental Health Management Services is hiring Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). If you enjoy preparing nutritious meals, supporting healthy routines, and helping individuals with I/DD live with dignity and independence, this is meaningful work that truly matters. Join our team and build a career where compassion, care, and community make a daily impact. #J-18808-Ljbffr