Recipe: "Bake 'n' Take" Cheesy eGG English Muffins

"Bake 'n' Take" Cheesy eGG English Muffins

Do your kids like Egg McMuffins? Try this home-made variation—which takes only slightly longer than the morning drive-thru window—and use your own assortment of fresh ingredients and flavorings.

Time: 10 minutes total, but only 2-3 minutes labor. (Allow more time if your oven preheats slowly.)
Serves 1 or many (see quantity note below)

Ingredients:

1 English Muffin
1 large egg
2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese
pinch dried herbs or 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs
(oregano, basil, parsley, etc.)
pinch salt
pinch pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with non-stick coating. Open the muffins and place the two halves on the foil, face up. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork until blended (about ten seconds). Beat in the remaining ingredients, crushing dried herbs between your fingers.

3. Carefully pour the egg mixture onto each muffin half, making sure to keep it from flowing over the sides. It helps to let the mixture soak into the muffin for a second before adding more to the muffin. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until the mixture is no longer runny and the cheese is melted.

4. Serve open faced if eating at table. For a meal you can take with you, place the two halves together, making a sandwich and wrap in the same foil used for baking. To keep the heat in longer, wrap in heavy-duty foil and then in a cloth napkin to help retain the heat.

Quantity Tip: You can make as many muffins this way as your oven will hold. It's a neat and quick way to make breakfast for an entire family on the go. Do them assembly-line style, wrap in foil and leave by the door as your family races off to work or school.

Healthier Tips: There are several things you may do to make this an even healthier meal, such as adding cooked beans, vegetables or nuts to the egg mixture. Cooked peas and cooked, chopped spinach (squeezed dry) can be added, but be aware that some vegetables will give off water as they cook, resulting in a longer baking time. Same thing goes for some meats, especially ham. A whole grain or oat bran muffin is healthier than plain English Muffins.

You may also uses cheese like mozzarella or feta, which are naturally lower in fat, but be careful with those low-fat labeled cheeses—they don't melt well and they can taste rubbery.

Finally, for those watching cholesterol intake, an egg substitute may be used instead of a whole egg.

Tastier Tips: Add different herbs and seasonings. A bit of chile powder and ground cumin make it Mexican, green onions add zest, and crumbled, cooked Italian sausage give a Mediterranean flavor (try a low-fat turkey sausage). Be imaginative!