Cheesy Cauliflower Breakfast Muffins

June 4, 2019lectinfreemama

My 3-year old helps out in the kitchen now. Up until her third birthday, “helping” involved eating most of the ingredients before I could get them into the recipe. But now, she legitimately helps and I love to come up with recipes where she can partake in creating. Before we made these breakfast muffins together, I started easy with mashed tahini sweet potatoes–kids love to mash things:

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Little Details⁣ .⁣ My two year old LOVES to cook with us now (and sample the food with her fingers, as pictured). She helps make her own mug muffin every morning, and now we’ve ventured into fun side dishes like tahini sweet potatoes. We adapted this recipe from the March High Five @highlightsforchildren magazine.⁣ .⁣ Boil two peeled and diced sweet potatoes until soft and mash (toddlers love to mash). Add 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 cup tahini, 1/2 teaspoon honey, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. It tastes like a sweet potato hummus!⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #cookingwithkids #kidscooking #kidsmeals #kidfood #kidsfood #sweetpotatoes #kidsmeal #healthykids #toddlerfood #healthyfamily #toddlereats #babyfood #plantparadox #theplantparadox #lectinfree #glutenfree #grainfree #dairyfree #paleo #paleokids #primal #jerf #realfood #vegetarian #vegan #nutrition #healthfood #FMS_littledetails #nourish #plantbased

A post shared by Autumn Boyle (@lectinfreemama) on Feb 21, 2019 at 9:48am PST

Quick Lectin-Free Breakfast Idea

Breakfast is a little more challenging. Specifically, we need something we can make ahead and heat up for breakfast, because preschool starts soon. These spinach, cauliflower, and parmesan breakfast muffins are just the ticket for back-to-school morning insanity. We also eat them for easy dinners with a salad, because sometimes dinner needs a 5-minute prep time, too.

Check out my other kid-friendly breakfast and snack ideas:

Ingredients for Breakfast Muffins

There aren’t too many specialty ingredients in these muffins. The only thing possibly difficult to find might be the imported prosciutto and cheese from Italy (sorry, American parmesan is not compliant). You can read more about how to shop and budget for things like this HERE.

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is having a moment. You can buy it dried, refrigerated, frozen, or purchase a head of cauliflower and make it yourself by pulsing in a food processor until it’s rice-like.

Eggs

Pastured eggs have a more desirable nutritional profile, particularly in the fatty acid composition. But beware, if the hens are fed soy and corn–particularly non-organic, GMO–all of those things we try so hard to avoid are in the eggs! Do the best you can. The next best option is to find organic eggs with omega-3 fatty acids in them (it will say on the carton). Brands that come to mind are Nelly’s, Pete & Gerry’s, and Eggland’s Best.

Parmigiano-Reggiano

This is the name of the parmesan cheese you want to get–basically, it needs to be Italian and not American “parmesan.” You can also sub Pecorino Romano–another kind of Italian hard cheese.

Prosciutto

I also recommend Italian prosciutto–either di Parma or San Daniele, but there are possibly some good American brands from heritage breeds, humanely raised and pastured. To make it crispy, fry it in some olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes total. Be careful, because the fat in prosciutto smokes very easily–turn the heat to medium-low if needed. Crumble into bits.

How to Make Breakfast Muffins

Quick Instructional Guide (keep scrolling for full printable recipe):

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together 5 cups cauliflower rice, 1/2 cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, 1 cup chopped spinach, and 4 large eggs (beaten) in a large bowl.
Grease a nonstick 12-cup (or 2 6-cup) muffin tin with olive oil.
Use an ice cream scoop or 1/3 measuring cup to fill the muffin cups with the egg & cauliflower mixture. Make a small well in the center of each cup.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup crispy prosciutto bits and another 1/2 cup parmigiano into the wells of the muffins.
Bake until set, about 15 minutes.

The muffins will store in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. They reheat in the microwave in 20-30 seconds. You can probably also freeze them for up to three months, though I can’t guarantee how they’d turn out once thawed–I didn’t try it.

Make savory breakfast muffins with eggs, parmesan cheese, spinach, and crispy prosciutto bits. Freeze or refrigerate to reheat for breakfast on busy weeknight mornings.

5 cups cauliflower rice (thawed, if frozen)
1 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese (grated)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
4 large pastured or omega-3 eggs
olive oil (for greasing)
1/2 cup crispy prosciutto bits ((about 6 slices cooked))

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together the
cauliflower rice, 1/2 cup of the parmigiano, spinach, and eggs in a large bowl.
Grease a nonstick 12-cup (or two 6-cup) muffin tin with olive oil.
SCOOP the egg and cauliflower mixture into the muffin cups using an ice cream scoop or 1/3 measuring cup. Make a small well in the center of each muffin and sprinkle with the remaining parmigiano and prosciutto bits.
BAKE until set, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for 3-4 days* to reheat for breakfasts. Reheats in the microwave in 20-30 seconds.

*Can also store in the freezer for up to 3 months.