Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add finely chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add thawed and drained frozen spinach to the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low.
- Stir in cottage cheese, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and 1 tbsp of Kinder's Cali Blackened Rub.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is combined.
- Remove the spinach mixture from heat and let cool slightly.
- Line each muffin cup with one slice of honey ham, allowing the edges to hang over the rim.
- Spoon the cooled spinach mixture evenly into each ham-lined cup.
- Crack one egg into each muffin cup on top of the spinach mixture.
- Dust the top of each egg bite with an additional light sprinkling of Kinder's Cali Blackened Rub (about 1/4 tsp per bite).
- Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes until the eggs are set and cooked through (whites are opaque, yolks are firm to your preference).
- Remove from oven and let cool in the tin for 2-3 minutes.
- Gently loosen each bite with a small spatula and transfer to a serving plate.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Notes
- Drain the spinach hard — Press thawed spinach against a strainer or squeeze it in a kitchen towel before it hits the skillet. Excess moisture makes the filling wet and the eggs won't set cleanly.
- Cool the filling before loading the cups — Spooning hot filling into the ham cups with an egg about to go in creates steam that works against a clean set. Give it two or three minutes off the heat.
- Let the ham edges overhang — Don't tuck them in. Those edges crisp up against the hot tin sides during the bake and give each bite texture at the rim.
- Check at 15 minutes — Gently shake the tin. Whites should be fully set with no jiggle. Pull now for a yolk with some give, or add two to three minutes for fully firm.
- Spray under the ham — Even with the ham liner, coat the tin generously with cooking spray first. The base can stick where the ham doesn't reach.
- No Kinder's? Build the blend — 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp each dried oregano, dried thyme, and salt. Mix dry and use the same amounts as the Kinder's.
- Straight out of the oven with fresh fruit and toast is the move — the warmth and the blackened crust hold up well against something bright on the side.
- For the full meal-prep run, let them cool in the tin, then transfer to airtight containers. They pack well and eat at room temperature without losing much. Two or three bites with sliced cucumber or cherry tomatoes makes a real breakfast on the go.
- These also pull weight as a high-protein snack between meals. If you're building a weekend brunch plate, set out four to six with hot sauce and extra sliced green onions — they hold their shape well enough to eat by hand.
- The Kinder's blackened spice is forward, so pair with something bright that gives it contrast. A clean side cuts through the smoke better than something rich.
- Cool completely before storing. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for five to seven minutes — microwaving works in a pinch but softens the ham cup.
- To freeze: wrap each bite individually in plastic wrap or parchment, then store in a zip bag or airtight container for up to three months. Label with the date. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat the same way — 300°F, five to seven minutes.
- Don't try to reheat from frozen at high heat. Low and slow brings them back without rubbering the egg.