Welcome again to our healthy-meals-from-a-muffin-tin series. So far, we’ve shared a lightened-up version of a favorite comfort food, Mini Veggie Lasagna, and a tangy combo of ancient grain and zesty greens, Broccoli-Farro Walnut Cakes.

Now let’s have breakfast. Here’s a traditional diner favorite—but without the “greasy spoon.” The shredded sweet potato crust in our Sweet Potato Breakfast Cups is a more flavorful and nutritious take on hash browns—loaded with beta-carotene, fiber and anti-inflammatory antioxidants. With eggs and veggie “sausage,” it’s high in protein.

These savory “muffins” even can be prepared the night before—just assemble the sausage and potato layers, cover and refrigerate overnight. Add the eggs next morning, just before baking.

Let’s get baking! Here’s the recipe…

Sweet Potato Breakfast cups

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • ¼ cup minced green onion
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 meatless sausage patties, crumbled
  • 6 large eggs
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 6 Tablespoons salsa
  • 3 Tablespoons sour cream

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, and line the bottoms with circles of parchment.

Peel and grate the sweet potato, using the large holes of your grater. Mix 1 ½ cups of the grated sweet potato with the green onion, coconut oil and sea salt. Press the sweet potato mixture into the bottoms and partially up sides of the muffin cups, dividing evenly, leaving a well in the middle. Bake until soft when poked with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon meatless sausage crumbles into the bottoms of the sweet potato cups, dividing evenly. Crack an egg into each cup, and sprinkle each with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bake until the egg whites are completely set and the yolks are beginning to thicken, 10 to 15 minutes. (The yolks will continue cooking as they cool.) Cool the muffin pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Then loosen the edges of each muffin with the tip of a small, sharp knife or spatula and lift out of the pan, transferring to plates. Serve each with 1 tablespoon of salsa and 1 ½ teaspoons sour cream. Makes 6 servings.

General tips for muffin-tin meals…

Chop vegetables, fruits and other chunky ingredients very small.

To freeze, cool “muffins” in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes, then loosen the edges with the tip of a knife or spatula and let them cool completely. Wrap the entire pan with foil and freeze until solid (about six hours). When frozen, use a knife to ease the muffins from the pan, then place them in heavy-duty zip-top freezer bags and return to freezer. Store up to one month.

To reheat: Place frozen “muffins” back into a muffin pan or on a baking sheet, cover with foil and warm in 350°F oven until hot (about 20 minutes). Or microwave one or two at a time, covered, at medium power until hot (two to four minutes).

For other muffin-pan recipes, check out our Mini Veggie Lasagna and Broccoli-Farro Walnut Cakes. Next muffin meal coming soon: Mini quiches with a tasty (and healthy!) “surprise” crust.

Got a comment or a recipe variation? Share it in the comments section below!