savoury egg muffins with Parma ham

Savoury egg muffins with Parma ham, cheese and chive are the ideal breakfast or brunch dish any day of the week, but particularly when you have a crowd to feed!

Loved by adults and children alike, these light savoury egg muffins, with almost souffle like eggs are flavoured with cheddar cheese and chives, encased in crispy Parma ham.

Without a doubt our savoury breakfast muffins are my go to breakfast or brunch dish when I am feeding a crowd. This fail-safe recipe is more of an assembly job, and a quick one at that.

Double or quadruple the recipe, and pop these healthy breakfast egg muffins in the oven and get on with making the tea, coffee and toast. I’ve yet to find anyone who didn’t enjoy this dish.

I like to line a large muffin tin with wafer thin slices of Parma ham and a scrambled egg like mixture of egg; cheese and chives. However, you can also crack an egg directly into the Parma ham lined cup and bake the egg whole instead if you prefer.

I usually allow 1-2 muffins per person depending on how hungry everyone is, alongside a pile of hot buttered toast. All the better that it’s done in one baking tray so a lot less washing up!

An ideal Gluten Free Breakfast Dish:

Not only do they taste great, but our gluten free savoury breakfast muffins are ideal for serving to Coeliacs or anyone following a gluten free diet.

So many breakfast dishes include grains which can make finding a gluten free breakfast alternative tricky. Our gluten free breakfast muffins can be served with some GF toast, but your diners won’t feel they are missing out or compromising on flavour!

Savoury Egg Muffins – recipe steps:

• Set out ingredients, ready to start cooking.

• Lightly grease the inside of a muffin tray.

• Line each hole in the tin with a slice of Parma ham, taking time to cover the bottom and sides of the hole.

• In a bowl whisk the eggs, then stir through the cheese, chives and double cream. Season the egg mixture with salt and pepper and divide the egg mixture filling the 6 lined holes in the muffin tray.

• Place the tin in a preheated oven at 200C/180CFan and cook for 15-18 minutes, until the egg is cooked through and just set. Serve immediately.

Why do savoury egg muffins deflate?

When baking in the oven, the air inside the whisked eggs heats up and expands, causing the muffins to rise in the oven. Once taken out of the oven they will start to deflate and this is entirely natural. Without something like flour to stablise the eggs this will happen so don’t worry.

Can I eat healthy breakfast egg muffins cold?

These savoury egg muffins are great served hot or cold. I love them straight from the oven while still warm, but they are just as delicious as a cold snack.

Pop any leftovers into the fridge, then enjoy them as a snack later in the day or as a lovely cold lunch next day with a dressed salad.

Leftovers can be warmed gently in the oven. Simply place the savoury egg muffins on a tray, cover loosely with kitchen foil and place in an oven at 160CFan/180C for around 10 minutes until warmed through.

Alternatively, pop in the microwave and reheat for 1 minute. Just be careful not to cook too long or the eggs will turn rubbery!

Recipe substitutions and variations:

• Parma Ham adds a wonderful crisp layer to encase the eggs. Substitute with thinly sliced pancetta or streaky bacon.
• Eggs are beaten to form a scrambled egg consistency. If you prefer you can crack a whole egg into the Parma ham lined cup and gently bake the egg whole instead.
• Salt and pepper is essential as eggs need to be seasoned, whether scrambled or being cooked whole.
• Cheddar cheese is grated and stirred through the egg. This intensifies the savoury flavour of the breakfast egg muffins. I have used a strong vintage cheddar, however you could use Parmesan, Grana Padano, Gruyere, Comte or any other strong flavoured cheese.
• Fresh chives add a wonderful fresh, mild onion like flavour – because who doesn’t love the combination of cheese and onion! You can use any other fresh herbs that you fancy, tarragon, parsley and basil would all work in this dish.
• Double cream is stirred through the egg to loosen it slightly and add a touch of luxury to the scrambled egg mixture. You can replace it with single cream or leave it out entirely if you prefer.

Additional flavour combinations:

This is a really versatile dish and other flavourings can be added to these healthy breakfast egg muffins. Use up whatever you have in the fridge and get creative. Here are some ideas:

• finely diced vegetables: mushrooms; bell peppers; courgette; tomatoes; asparagus; peas; etc
• thinly sliced spring onions or shallots
• fresh chopped herbs: parsley; tarragon; basil; thyme
• any combination of grated cheese
• small pieces of diced ham, crispy bacon or smoked sausage

How to adapt Breakfast Egg Muffins for Vegetarian Diners?

Cooking this recipe for vegetarian diners, no problem. Line the muffin tray with a vegetarian bacon substitute in place of the Parma ham.

Or how about using courgette instead? Simply use a potato peeler to peel long, thin strips of courgette and use these to line the muffin tray.

Whatever you decide to use, ensure you spray the inside of the muffin tray with a little oil before lining it to avoid the muffin from sticking to the sides once it is cooked.

Useful hints and tips:

1. No special equipment required just a deep fill muffin tin. Don’t use a cupcake tray as the holes are too shallow for filling.
2. Allergy advice: gluten free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions:

If you like this recipe then try some of our other great brunch dishes:

• Oven Baked Eggs
• Curried Eggs
• Croque Madame
• Spinach Omelette
• Chorizo Hash with Chickpeas

Hosting your own brunch then take the stress out of it and head to our Ultimate Guide to Brunch. You will find all our brunch recipes together with advice on how to get started.