Steam-baked egg bites in a muffin tin, blended with cottage cheese for a silky texture. Meal-prep friendly: freeze and reheat all week. Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Bacon and Gruyère Egg Bites.
At a Glance
| Yield | 12 egg bites |
| Total | 1 hour |
| Bake | 24 to 28 minutes at 325°F |
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bacon, chopped | 6 slices |
| Cottage cheese | 12 oz (1 1/2 cups) |
| Large eggs, divided | 12 |
| Table salt | 1/2 tsp |
| Gruyere cheese, grated | 4 oz (2 cups) |
Method
Prep
Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack (this holds the water bath). Spray a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with oil. Boil a kettle of water.
Cook the bacon
Cook the chopped bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.
Blend
Blend the cottage cheese on high until smooth, about a minute, scraping the sides. Add 1 egg and process on low for 10 seconds. Pour into a large bowl. Whisk in the remaining 11 eggs and the salt.
Fill and stir
Divide the Gruyere and bacon evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Ladle the egg mixture over the fillings. Use a skewer or chopstick to gently stir each cup so the cheese and bacon distribute rather than sitting on top.
Steam-bake
Transfer the muffin tin to the preheated baking sheet on the oven rack. Pour boiling water into the baking sheet until it fully covers the bottom (this is the steam bath). Bake until the sides pull away and the centers register 170 to 175°F, 24 to 28 minutes.
Cool and release
Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a plastic knife around each cup to loosen, then lift out.
Notes
- Cottage cheese blends smooth and adds moisture without diluting flavor. Don’t skip the blending step, or the bites will be curdled.
- The water bath is what keeps the eggs custard-soft. A hot tin at 325°F without steam will overcook the edges before the centers set.
- Storage: fridge up to 3 days, freezer up to 1 month (thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating).
- Reheat: 30 to 45 seconds for 1 bite, 46 to 60 seconds for 2, in the microwave.
- Swaps: swap Gruyere for aged cheddar or fontina, swap bacon for chopped ham or roasted red peppers.
Source
Adapted from Bacon and Gruyère Egg Bites — America’s Test Kitchen. See the original for photos and additional variations.