Make-Ahead Baked Bacon and Cheese Egg Bites

Instructions

1. 01

   Adjust oven rack to middle position, and preheat oven to 325°F (160℃). Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a blender, process eggs, cottage cheese, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, rice starch or cornstarch, hot sauce, and salt on medium speed until smooth, about 15 seconds.

2. 02

   Divide bacon among prepared muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon per cup). Pour blended egg mixture evenly over bacon in muffin cups.

3. 03

   Set filled muffin tin in a roasting pan. Place roasting pan on middle oven rack and pour boiling water around muffin tin until water is 1 inch deep, about halfway up the sides of the muffin tin. Bake until the center of the egg bites look dry, with some bubbles on the surface, but edges are still wet, about 10 minutes.

4. 04

   Remove roasting pan from oven, and gently stir each egg bite, combining the soft egg curds with the wet egg mixture. Return to oven, and continue to bake until fully cooked and set, about 20 minutes longer. Carefully remove muffin pan from roasting pan. Let cool 5 minutes. Run a small offset spatula or butter knife around the edges of each egg bite to loosen, then gently turn the pan upside down to remove the egg bites. Serve or let cool completely before storing.