Elevate Your Egg Bites With Flavors Inspired By Spanakopita
Eating breakfast on the go is certainly the reality for plenty of working adults. Even if you're just rushing to get the kids off to school, you want to make sure they're not going to class hungry and you're not starving by the time you get home. Egg bites are the perfect early-morning dish because they're loaded with protein and make for an easy, handheld meal that doesn't make a mess. Next time you whip up a batch for your weekly breakfast, try getting creative by marrying classic egg bites with the flavors of spanakopita.
Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish with four main ingredients: spinach, feta, egg, and phyllo dough. It's also known as Greek spinach pie; it essentially blends spinach and feta with creamy eggs, and that mixture gets wrapped with flaky, golden phyllo dough. Adding that spinach and feta to your eggs might actually make you want to get out of bed in the morning.
Make spanakopita-inspired egg bites
The one downside to spanakopita is that it's not so easy to eat with your hands. That flaky phyllo dough might be delicious, but anyone who has ever enjoyed it knows how delicate it is — and how easily it creates a crumb trail on your plate. But the egg bites are small enough to eat in one bite (hence the name), so there's no need to worry about flaking that phyllo dough with a fork. Here, they become a handheld meal.
Break out the mini muffin tin, and line each muffin cup with store-bought phyllo dough. Fill them with a mixture of whisked egg, spinach, and feta, then bake them until the phyllo is golden brown and the eggs are cooked through. By using the mini muffin tin, you ensure that they're bite-sized, but if you're less worried about the mess and would prefer larger pieces, then you can just use a standard-sized muffin tin.
Tricks for preparing the best spanakopita egg bites
Add a little milk to the eggs to make the whisking process easier. You can also bulk up the egg bites with veggies and herbs that will enhance the dish, such as a little chopped red onion. Sea salt goes a long way here, too, but keep in mind that feta cheese is naturally quite salty, so be careful not to over-salt.
Using frozen spinach will save you time because you won't have to cook down so much of the fresh kind, but if you're using fresh spinach, wilt it with a little butter and garlic for the absolute best flavor. As for the phyllo dough, sure it has thawed completely before using it. If it's still too cold or a bit frozen, it won't be pliable and will break when you try to shape it in the muffin tin. If you don't have phyllo dough or can't find it, puff pastry can make for a last-minute substitute.
The egg bites can be kept in the refrigerator for up to four days, so if you plan to eat them throughout the week, try making them Monday morning. This way, you can safely consume them all the way through Friday morning — it's the perfect breakfast meal prep.