Make-Ahead Egg Bites

Instructions

1. 01

   Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin pan really well with cooking spray. Don't skip this step — these egg bites can stick if you don't grease the pan thoroughly.

2. 02

   Place about 3 tater tots in the bottom of each muffin cup. They don't need to be perfectly arranged — just nestle them in. This is your hash brown layer, and it's so much easier than grating potatoes.

3. 03

   Sprinkle a little cooked sausage (or whatever meat you're using) over the tater tots in each cup. Then add a small sprinkle of diced bell pepper and diced onion to each one. The cups should be filling up nicely at this point — that's exactly what you want.

4. 04

   Crack the 6 large eggs into a bowl and give them a quick whisk with a fork. Pour in the half-and-half and whisk again. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and mix one more time until everything is well combined.

5. 05

   Carefully pour the egg mixture into each muffin cup, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Don't go all the way to the top — the eggs puff up as they bake. A measuring cup or pitcher with a pour spout makes this much easier.

6. 06

   Sprinkle a little shredded cheddar cheese over the top of each egg bite. This is what gets nice and toasty brown in the oven.

7. 07

   Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Mine were perfect at exactly 20 minutes, but ovens vary, so start checking around the 20-minute mark.

8. 08

   Let the egg bites sit in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes after they come out of the oven. Run a knife around the edge of each one to release it, and lift it out gently.