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A hand holds a baked egg cup made with ham, a sunny-side-up egg, chopped green onions, and black pepper. The edges of the ham are slightly crisped. Other similar egg cups are on a plate in the background.
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ham and cheese egg cups (a high protein meal prep breakfast)

When I say this recipe is easy, I don't think I can articulate just how easy it is to make ham and cheese egg cups! One cup is packed with 17 grams of protein and just 145 calories. You can take them on the go or pop one on a crispy piece of sourdough with a little jam for a Monte Cristo action.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 30 minute
Servings: 6
Calories: 145kcal
Author: Mika Kinney

Ingredients

  • 6 slices ham normal thickness (not thick or thin sliced)
  • 6 eggs
  • 6 tablespoon egg whites
  • 6 tablespoon white cheddar shredded or any cheddar cheese you like
  • sprinkle of pepper on each
  • finish with green onions or chives

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grab a silicon muffin tin or a metal one and line it with foil liners. Paper liners will get soaked! If you have a really good non-stick pan that will work without liners.
  • In every other muffin spot, press a slice of ham into each one (the 6 slices ham). You'll have to be gentle and do some bending and folding to get them to fit right with the bottom flat. Then sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the 6 tablespoon white cheddar shredded into each one, then pour in 1 tablespoon of the 6 tablespoon egg whites into each one, and finally top with 1 egg of the 6 eggs in each one. Finish with a sprinkle of pepper on each.
    Bake for 15-17 minutes if you want your yolks a bit runny (or plant o reheat them and don't want to overcook them in the microwave later on). Or bake them for 20-25 minutes if you want the yolk set.
  • When done, let cool a bit before removing and then serve with a garnish of green onions. I love to cut mine up and spread it out over sourdough.

Video

Notes

Using a silicon mold: Deli ham almost always has some holes in it, so the egg whites will definitely seep out. To make sure you can still get them out of your pan, use a silicone muffin mold or one you are sure is non-stick. Foil liners would work too, just not paper ones.
Layer as listed. The cheese on the bottom helps create a barrier. Keeping the egg whites on the bottom and the whole egg on top allows you to keep an eye on how the yolk is cooking.
Bake with meal prep in mind. I like to underbake mine a bit so the egg yolks aren't set. This way, when they are reheated, they won't be overdone. Of course, if you plan to eat them right away, bake them accordingly.
Egg yolk cook times
  • Runny yolk: 15-17 minutes (best if you plan to reheat them later in the microwave)
  • Jammy yolk: 17-20 minutes
  • Completely set yolk: 25 minutes
Layer as listed. The cheese on the bottom helps create a barrier. Keeping the egg whites on the bottom and the whole egg on top allows you to keep an eye on how the yolk is cooking.
Bake with meal prep in mind. I like to underbake mine a bit so the egg yolks aren't set. This way, when they are reheated, they won't be overdone. Of course, if you plan to eat them right away, bake them accordingly.
Storage: These will last for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Or, you can freeze them for up to 3 months but because of the egg whites, they tend to release a lot of water if reheated from frozen.
You can leave the egg whites out if desired; this reduces the protein to around 20g per cup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 10g | Sugar: 1.5g