Easy Denver Omelette Muffins

Denver omelette muffins are a delicious and convenient way to enjoy the flavors of a classic Denver omelette in a handheld, portable form. They are a great option for breakfast or brunch and are perfect for meal prepping for the week ahead!

In the morning I need quick breakfast ideas without a lot of fuss because my brain just does not kick into gear until I am two coffees in.  When I don’t have things ready to go and need to think about breakfast the easiest choice is cereal.

But cereal isn’t the best choice for breakfast and eating it will only mean I will be hungry in another hour when I crash from the sugar high.  These Denver egg bites have come to the rescue more times than I can count.

On the weekend I can make a batch in less than half an hour and have them all week long! A Red Pepper and Breakfast Strata, Very Berry Oatmeal or Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes are my other favorite make-ahead breakfast recipes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Eggs – I prefer to use whole eggs but you can also make these breakfast bites with egg whites only.

• Unsweetened almond milk – or any milk you want will work.

• Bell pepper – I prefer red because I like the pop of color but yellow, orange, green, or if you like things spicy a little jalapeno.

• Mushrooms – cremini or button mushrooms are best.

• Green onions – you can also use white, yellow, or red onions.

• Bacon – When I am lazy I just toss in bacon bits but cooked regular bacon or turkey bacon are also great choices when you have more time or even chopped deli ham.

• Salt – you can add pepper too.

• Olive oil – or your preferred fat for sauteeing veggies.

• Shredded cheese – I prefer a Tex-Mex blend for these egg cups but you can switch it up with any hard or semi-soft cheese that melts. Or instead toss in some feta, goat, or blue cheese if you want to be extra fancy.

How To Make Egg Muffins

Step One: Preheat oven to 350° F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well.  I like to use butter to grease my muffin cups but you can use cooking spray if you prefer. 

Don’t use paper muffin tin liners though because the eggs will stick to them and it will be near impossible to peel the liner off.

Step Two: Add the olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat and toss in the chopped onion, red pepper, and chopped mushrooms. Cook until the onions become opaque and the red peppers softened. About 3 minutes. Remove the cooked veggies from the heat and let them cool slightly.

Step Three: Add the eggs, cooked veggies, chopped cooked bacon, salt, and almond milk to a large bowl or measuring cup with a spout and whisk vigorously. This not only mixes up the fillings evenly but also adds a little air so that the omelette muffins come out light and fluffy when baked.

Step Four: Pour the egg bite mixture into the muffin cups evenly. Give the mixture a whisk as you fill the cups to make sure that the fillings don’t all fall to the bottom of the bowl and are left to the end. You want each egg cup to have a good amount of peppers, mushrooms, onions, and bacon.

Step Five: Top each Omellete evenly cup with the shredded cheese. If you do decide to add feta or other softer cheeses you can toss that into the mix with the veggies and bacon and just make it part of the mixture you pour into each cup.

Step Six: Bake for about 20 minutes or until the centers of the omelette bites are no longer jiggly. Remove from the oven and serve warm or let them cool completely and store for later.

Storing

These egg muffins are a great recipe to add to your meal prep for the week ahead.  Once made they are easy to store.

First, let the egg muffins cool completely then you can store them in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in the fridge or wrap them individually in plastic wrap, or put them in small individual travel containers.  For more information on egg storage and safety check out this article from The Egg Farmers of Canada.

Freezing

To freeze, let them cool completely and then place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and then into the freezer for about an hour. Once they are frozen or partially frozen, you can place them in a larger container altogether or package them in individual containers or freezer bags by portion.

They can be frozen for about 2 months.

Thaw them in the microwave or in the fridge overnight and reheat them in the microwave for about 40 seconds before eating.

Can Other Veggies Be Used in These Omelette Bites?

Yes of course!  Softer vegetables are best because root vegetables like carrots take longer to cook.  Opt for softer veggies like asparagus, peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, kale, and tomatoes.  You can also add any herb you like to add extra flavor. Dill, tarragon, and thyme are all good choices!

Can This Recipe Be Used To Make A Regular Omelette?

Yes! This recipe will make about 4 omelettes the traditional way in a pan and folded over.

After you have cooked the veggies just lightly grease a non-stick pan and pour in the egg mixture, let it cook for about 2 minutes. Then use a spatula to fold the omelet in half and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or until the inside of the omelet is cooked through.

To save time for smaller batches of just one or two omelettes, use two or three eggs per omelette and a handful of each veggie, a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of milk and a tablespoon of cheese. No need to precook the veggies if you are short on time but make sure the bacon is cooked for sure. In a pinch for time, chopped deli ham is a better choice.

Origin of The Denver Omelette

Turns out the Denver Omelette didn’t start out as an omelette at all and instead started as a sandwich… and since then has evolved further into these Denver Omelette Bites!

The Denver Omelette has quite a history and one that might make you reconsider eating one

There are a few theories on how this sandwich turned omelette came about, but one of them, and the most popular theory is that the people on the frontier couldn’t get fresh eggs that far out so they needed a way to make their eggs taste better. So they tossed a bunch of aromatic veggies in the eggs with a little ham and presto… a less icky egg. Um ok…

The other theory is that Chinese railroad workers made sandwiches with a filling similar to a popular egg dish in China… Egg Foo Young and turned it into a sandwich.

Either way, I am not complaining… those less-desirable eggs from Denver lead to a great breakfast and lunch recipe!

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

• Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
• Breakfast Carrot Bread
• Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes
• Baked Frittata with Spinach and Feta
• Ham and Cheese Egg Cups