Cottage Cheese Egg Bites

If spinach isn't your thing, here's another recipe for egg bites, again from the NYT Cooking section, that features different optional vegetables and mix-ins. The NYT recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese; I cut it back to 1 cup to lower the fat, calories and WW Points. You can add bacon or sausage, which will minimally increase the calorie & WW Point count. Whatever your choices, these make great high-protein breakfasts or afternoon snacks. They keep in the fridge for several days and can be frozen.

When I made the spinach egg bites, I had a difficult time removing the bites from my greased muffin tin, but I found silicone muffin cups at Target that fit into a muffin tin and are completely nonstick. The egg bites slid right out and the cups were easy to clean.

Silicone muffin cups

8 large eggs

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, mozzarella,

Gruyère, Monterey Jack)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Optional Mix-ins:

Raw chopped vegetables (onion, scallions, bell pepper, spinach or a combination)

Cooked chopped vegetables (mushrooms, broccoli, potato, sweet potato, etc.)

Crumbled cooked bacon or sausage

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.

Place eggs, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and salt and pepper in a blender. Brend for 8 to 10 seconds, just until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. If using optional mix-ins, add them on top of each cup and, using a chopstick or small spoon, gently stir them into the mixture. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the eggs are set. Remove from the oven. Use a butter knife to run along the sides of the cups and gently lift them out.

Eggs bites will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or a 300–degree oven until warmed through.

Make 12 egg bites

WW Points per egg bite: 2