Cost breakdown

Recipe Making Process

Getting the ingredients for this recipe is quite simple and easy. The produce is fresh and simple to find at Walmart, and since avocados and tomatoes are often in season during warmer months, they are more flavorful and affordable during those times. For sustainability, you can swap tomatoes for seasonal veggies like sauteed spinach or roasted peppers in the winter. You also don’t need to use too much butter, which can help with budget savings since you can have more leftovers for other recipes.

Before cooking, it helps to practice mise en place. Mise en place is a French culinary term that means “putting in place”. This just means that you do some preparation before you start cooking. In this recipe, you should set out all ingredients, slice the tomatoes and avocados, and then heat the pan. This should make the cooking process smoother and a lot less stressful. I recommend doing this before starting to cook with any recipe.

The highlight of this recipe is the egg frying technique. Cooking eggs “over easy” or “over medium” requires an amount of control over both the time and temperature of the eggs. Keeping the pan at medium heat can prevent burning, while flipping the egg helps ensure a thoroughly cooked egg with a soft, runny yolk (if desired) without breaking it. This technique requires confidence and practice. It might not turn out the best the first time, heck, it’s still hard for me sometimes, but it gets easier the more you do it, and it’s a technique that can be built upon for future recipes.

Nutritionally, this meal provides fiber from the multigrain bread, healthy fats from avocados, vitamins (C, K, and B9) from the tomatoes, and protein from the eggs. All these ingredients help to support steady energy and focus during those long study periods.

The final dish should be vibrant with golden eggs over the bright green avocado and red tomato. The textures blend well with a perfect mixture of the eggs, vegetables, and toast. The slight spice from the tajin also gives it a tangy kick that leaves you satisfied.

Next time I have this for breakfast, I might try adding some shredded cheese or swapping the butter for olive oil for extra heart-healthy fats.

Overall, this recipe is a must-try for busy students who want to eat better without overspending or taking hours in the kitchen. It’s a small step towards building lifelong knowledge that can continue to help you even after college.

Wholesome in a Hurry

Author: Gunner Maw Courses:Breakfast

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:300 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This is a simple and easy breakfast option full of nutrients and whole foods to help with satiety throughout a busy day, all on a budget.  

Ingredients

• Great Value Multigrain Bread (8 slices)
• Avocados (4)
• Butter (1 stick or less)
• Eggs (8)
• Roma Tomatoes (4)
• Organic Bananas (1 bundle)
• tt Salt
• tt Pepper
• tt Tajin
• tt Onion Powder

Instructions

1. Heat up a large pan to medium heat and grease it with enough butter to coat the base of the pan. A little goes a long way.
2. Crack 4 eggs at a time on the pan once heated, and cook 90% on one side and 10% on the other for the desired runniness of eggs (over easy, 3 1/2 minutes total, over medium, 4 1/2 minutes total, and over hard, 5 1/2 minutes or more). Don’t break the yolks.
3. Season the eggs with a little salt, pepper, tajin, and onion powder while cooking.
4. While the eggs are cooking, put 4 pieces of bread in the toaster.
5. While the eggs and toast are cooking, cut the tomatoes into thin slices, and cut the avocados into slightly thicker slices/wedges.
6. Once the toast is done, spread just enough butter to lightly coat the surface of the bread, and place the avocado, tomato, and cooked egg on the toast in that order.
7. Repeat for the second batch of 4 toasts so that each serving has 2.
8. Serve with a banana and enjoy!

Video

Keywords:BMeal Prep Easy cooking Nutrient Dense Healthy Eating Easy and Delicious, Budget friendly, delicious, easy, Eating in college, healthy eating, inexpensive, nutritious, Quick, Quick breakfast, simple

Cost Breakdown

Process

• This recipe has a ton of variations! There are so many optional ingredients that you can load these breakfast egg muffins with to accommodate different dietary needs! We chose to use shredded ham, spinach, and Swiss cheese, but feel free to use whatever add-ins you already have in the fridge at home. By following this approach, you can prepare a meal that is both more budget-friendly and minimizes food waste. 

• Before you begin cooking, gather and prepare all your ingredients and tools in advance. This will help streamline the process, ensuring efficiency and preventing unnecessary movement around the kitchen.  

• Preparation (Mise en Place): Preheat your oven to 375* F. Chop/grate the ingredients you will be using. In this picture we grated the Swiss cheese, and chopped the spinach and ham.

• Once you have finished chopping and grating the ingredients you have chosen for the egg muffins, it is time to measure the ingredients that go into the food processor. This will be the eggs (10), cottage cheese (½ cup), salt (½ tsp), and pepper (¼ tsp). Throw these ingredients into the food processor and begin blending until smooth. You don’t want any chunks from the cottage cheese left in the mixture.  

• Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a different bowl and add in the ham (1 cup), Swiss cheese (½ cup), and Spinach (½ cup). Mix these ingredients gently by stirring with a spoon. (See how to do this down below in the video) Once all mixed in, generously spray or coat muffin tin with oil. If you don’t have a muffin tin, you could also put the mixture into a baking pan. Another option would be to use cupcake liners to minimize sticking. Below is a video showing you how:

• The egg mixture will rise in the oven, so only each one ¾ full. Put the pan in the oven for about 18 minutes, or until they are no longer wet in the middle and golden brown on the top and edge. 

• When you remove the egg muffins from the oven, they will puff up but naturally deflate as they cool—this is completely normal. Once they have fully cooled, they are ready to enjoy!

• Here’s a helpful tip: If you plan to freeze or refrigerate the egg muffins, slightly undercook them. They should be fully set in the middle but not golden brown on the outside. This prevents them from overcooking and developing an unpleasant texture when reheated in the microwave. 

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Author: GroupThree Courses:Lunch, Dinner Breakfast

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 18 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time: 30 minutesCooking Temp:190 CServings:6 servingsEstimated Cost:8.81 $Calories:137 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

Breakfast egg muffins offer super easy meal prep for someone on a tight budget. These are quick, easy, and perfect for an on-the-go breakfast!

Ingredients

• 10 Large Eggs
• 1/2 C. Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 1.5 C. chopped or shredded add-ins (this recipe uses 1 C. diced ham and 1/2 C. spinach)
• 1/2 C. Swiss Cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Finely chop or shred your chosen add-in ingredients. Add 2 Tbsp of add-ins to each well of a non-stick 12 muffin tin. If your non-stick pan is older or the finish is a bit worn, you may want to grease the wells first with butter or oil.
2. Add the eggs, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper to a large blender. Purée for about 30 seconds or until smooth. With a spoon, stir in shredded Swiss cheese, chopped ham, and chopped spinach.
3. Spray the muffin tin with non-stick spray. Pour the egg mixture into the wells of the muffin tin, dividing evenly between each well. It should fill them almost to the top.
4. Bake the egg muffins in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, or just until the centers no longer look wet, and they are barely golden around the edges. Avoid overcooking them or they’ll become spongy. They’ll puff up quite a bit as they bake and deflate as they cool. This is normal.
5. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin just enough to handle, then loosen them gently with a knife and remove them from the tin. Allow the egg muffins to finish cooling on a wire rack. Enjoy warm or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Keywords:budget-friendly, easy breakfast, egg, protein muffin, Quick breakfast, variability