Ham And Feta Egg White Bites Recipe

The perfect grab-and-go breakfast, these ham and feta egg white bites are "very delicious, healthy, high in protein, and low in carbs" as well as being easy to make, according to recipe developer Julianne De Witt. While they somewhat resemble the sous vide egg bites sold at Starbucks and other establishments, you do not need a sous vide machine to make them. Instead, De Witt makes use of the approachable bain marie oven technique. "Cooking egg bites in a water bath ensures that they are evenly cooked and that they stay tender, moist, and fluffy," she assures of the method.

Easier yet, this recipe comes together with the pre-cracked egg whites that come in a carton, though De Witt says you can certainly start with whole eggs and separate the whites from the yolks if you prefer. Since 1 large egg yields about 2 tablespoons of white, you'll need about 2 dozen eggs for this recipe. This will leave you with plenty of leftover yolks to make homemade mayonnaise, hollandaise, great carbonara pasta sauce, and drinks like our definitive eggnog.

To make these egg bites, you'll only need 7 ingredients, although most of these can be switched out for other mix-ins (more on that later). The one thing that's de rigueur is the egg whites, while you'll probably want to keep the salt and pepper, too. The egg bites in this recipe are made with chopped ham and crumbled feta, while De Witt also opts to add scallions and sun-dried tomatoes for flavoring.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Grease a large muffin tin with cooking spray, using a paper towel to rub it in evenly.

Divide scallions among muffin cups.

Divide ham, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta among muffin cups.

Pour about ¼ cup egg whites into each muffin cup.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the muffin tin onto a large baking sheet, transfer it to the oven, and slightly pull out the oven rack, leaving the oven open.

Carefully pour boiling water onto the baking sheet, so the muffin tin sits in a ½-inch water bath.

Close the oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

Allow egg bites to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin with a small spatula to loosen the edges.

Serve warm.

You can definitely feel free to change up the add-ins De Witt uses in this recipe. As she tells us, "This recipe is easily customizable." For one thing, you can swap out the feta for a different type of cheese. If you're sticking with crumbles, blue cheese and goat cheese have a somewhat similar texture, as does cotija, but De Witt also suggests that a semi-moist cheese like cheddar or pepper Jack would also work. (Shred it first, of course.)

Meats and vegetables, too, can be added or subtracted to these egg bites per your tastes. If you prefer a vegetarian version, De Witt advises omitting the ham and adding spinach or peppers, while if you'd prefer to go the opposite route, you can add bacon, crumbled sausage, diced pepperoni, cooked ground chicken, or any other type of meat that you fancy. You could also make the eggs spicy with the addition of chopped chiles or hot sauce, or add garlic for an aromatic flavor boost. As De Witt says, "anything goes" with these egg white bites.

Yes, of course, these egg bites can be prepared in advance. In fact, De Witt goes so far as to call them "the perfect make-ahead breakfast." Her suggestion is that you cook them, then let them cool down all the way. Once they have reached room temperature, you may enclose them in a resealable plastic bag or another airtight container.

You can keep the egg bites in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, which means that if you make them on Sunday, they should take you up through breakfast time on Friday. Of course, if you do not feel that you'll be able to finish them all up within this time frame, you can also freeze them. Egg white bites, whether refrigerated or frozen, may be easily reheated in the microwave. De Witt says just a minute ought to do it, but if you're starting with frozen ones, they may need a little more time.