Cheesy Tomato and Egg Muffin Cups

Recently my mom took a trip to Di Bruno's Italian market in Philadelphia, and like every other time she has gone there, she walks out with a years supply of assorted cheeses even though she is allergic to dairy. This weekend I benefited from my moms shopping disorder when she passed me a bag full of assorted gouda's. I love gouda, I can eat a wheel of smoked gouda, It's one of my weaknesses. So it's no surprise that I was actually laying in bed last night thinking of all the different things I could do with these gouda's from the Gods when it occurred to me how delicious they would be in an egg muffin cup nestled up to some juicy tomatoes.

If you are new to the egg muffin cup game, let me tell you, it's a good one! These individual serving size egg cups are part fritatta, part scrambled egg, part omelette and they fit in the palm of your hand. They are perfect for busy mornings or mid-day snacks. I like to whip up a batch and eat them all week long or serve them to my daughter for a quick breakfast on particularly busy mornings. They keep great in the refrigerator for up to a week and heat up quick and easy in the microwave or oven, though I enjoy them at room temperature too.

The cheese I used in this recipe is a Brabender Goat Gouda, it's creamy has a light zing and is just glorious. However, it's also not at your typical supermarket. If you can get it, get it! But if you can't, fear not! You can make this with a smoked gouda, a pecorino, a smoked provolone or even a mozzarella! I make these all the time and change up the ingredients constantly, so don't be afraid to step out of the muffin cup and try something new. Soon I plan on trying one with pepperoncini, parmigiana and salami!

Let's get to business, but first, thank you Mom for inspiring this one with the Gouda windfall. I am thankful that from you, I've inherited many things, like your observant nature, your spot on detective skills, your “you lookin’ for trouble glare, your obsessive cleaning, your extreme shopping and more, but I must say, I am so thankful that I can eat cheese.

This makes 12 egg muffin cups

What Do I Need?

1 Dozen Eggs

1/2 Cup Brabender Gouda roughly chopped

2 T Brabender Gouda shredded

2/3 Cup cherry tomatoes roughly chopped

S & P

Cooking Spray

Now What?

Preheat the oven to 375, in a medium bowl whisk your eggs thoroughly, make sure they are all broken up and well blended! Add in your cheese, keep in mind you should have 1/2 cup roughly chopped into small pieces, pea size and smaller is good! Now add your 2 Tablespoons of shredded cheese and your 2/3 cups of roughly chopped cherry tomatoes, add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Spray your muffin tin well with cooking spray and carefully spoon your egg mixture into each cup, fill them almost to the top, about 2/3 full. Be sure to well distribute the cheese and tomatoes into each cup!

Cook for 20 minutes, remove from oven and carefully remove and set on cooling rack or dish, I use a tiny spatula to help get the egg muffins out safely and in one piece !

Take Note: Try this with ham and cheddar cheese! You can use 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, 2/3 cup of chopped deli ham and 3 chopped scallions! Serve this with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and cry tears of glory!!!