Mini Muffin Tin Egg Bites

What you need

• Muffin tin, 1 mini muffin tin (24 cups)
• Cooking oil, a little, for greasing
• Eggs, 6 eggs
• Soft veggies (peppers, cucumber), a small handful of chopped spinach (optional)
• Shredded cheese, about 1/2 cup (optional)
• Bowl, 1, plus a few small bowls for fillings
• Whisk, 1
• Towel, 1
• Ham, a small handful, diced (optional)
• Oven mitts, 1 pair
• Spoon, 1
• Phone, 1 timer
• Knife, 1, for the grown-up
• Cutting board, 1

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a mini muffin tin. Chop the spinach and dice the ham ahead of time so little hands only scoop and sprinkle. Contains egg and dairy (cheese), and ham is pork, so skip or swap anything your family avoids. Keep a towel and soap nearby, since raw egg means hand-washing after touching it. You do all oven work. The tin and the bites stay hot for a while after baking.

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before you start.
2. A grown-up preheats the oven to 350°F. A grown-up does this
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk until smooth and yellow. Ask for help if you need it
4. Wash your hands again after touching raw egg.
5. Pick your fillings: spinach, cheese, ham, or a mix!
   Ask: If you could invent a brand-new egg bite flavor, what would you put in it?
6. Drop a small pinch of filling into each muffin cup, halfway at most.
7. Slowly pour or spoon beaten egg over the fillings until almost full. Ask for help if you need it
   Ask: What do you think will happen to this runny egg in the oven?
8. Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes, until firm. A grown-up does this
9. Take the tin out with oven mitts and let bites cool 5 minutes. A grown-up does this
10. Pop out a bite and taste it! Share some, then plan your next flavor. Ask for help if you need it
    Ask: How is the cooked egg different from the raw egg you started with?

Play it again

• Menu night: give each row of the tin its own filling and name it like a restaurant dish.
• Taste test: ask family to try each flavor and vote for their favorite.
• Mystery cups: close your eyes, sprinkle fillings, then guess which cup is which after baking.