This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Simply Potatoes. All opinions are 100% mine.
Now that my kids are older and making their own breakfasts, it’s pretty hilarious to see what they’re making for themselves in the morning. My son, Nathan, sticks his head in the refrigerator. Then sticks his head in the pantry. Then finds something that takes next to no effort to make, like reheating leftovers. My daughter, Lucie, usually makes toast. It’s too much of a bother for them to make anything nutritious like an egg or a smoothie, and I’m beginning to worry that they’re not getting a good start in the morning.
So when Simply Potatoes asked me to come up with a breakfast idea, I jumped at the opportunity and came up with Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups. It’s a recipe that should appeal to parents since it’s something you can make a big batch of ahead of time and freeze. That way either you or your kids can reheat a few muffin cups the morning.
It has all the things that I know many kids love to eat in the morning – eggs, cheese, and sausage. And Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups have some healthy stuff, too, like vegetables and a sweet surprise – raisins!
Cooking with Simply Potatoes
Best of all, Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups have something my kids love to eat in the morning, hash browns from Simply Potatoes. Simply Potatoes is a line of refrigerated, prepared potatoes. They’re made by the Crystal Farms Company, who are also known for great-tasting, high-quality cheese, eggs, butter and English muffins.
Simply Potatoes products are found in the dairy section – you’re probably familiar with their green packaging. They’re fresh, never frozen, and made with real ingredients. Since Simply Potatoes are already shredded and prepared, it takes a step out of your cooking prep and makes preparing breakfast casseroles, side dishes and more quick and convenient.
You can find Simply Potatoes Favorites recipes on their website and on Simply Potatoes on Pinterest.
Making Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups
When I was brainstorming on making my kids an easy-to-heat-up school morning breakfast meal, I immediately thought that hash brown muffin cups were the way to go. But how to make them different and a little healthier?
My kids love spicy Mexican food and are big fans of chorizo. I immediately thought of picadillo, which normally has potatoes in it. It’s also fun, because of the raisins! I thought I’d health it up by adding some peppers and onion. Since this was a breakfast dish, the muffins would naturally need eggs, but I’d use some egg whites, too. Also, instead of mixing in the cheese, I’d just sprinkle it on top.
I baked my Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups in silicone baking cups, which are cute but a booger to clean. I also cooked a batch in paper cupcake cups, which stuck to the muffins and were hard to peel off. If you wish to use disposable cupcake liners, I’d use foil baking cups. I think they’d be much easier to peel off though I haven’t tried them to be sure. If you bake in silicone, I’d use a silicone muffin pan instead as they don’t have the little ridges that are hard to clean.
Finally, a note on cheese and chorizo. I used shredded Queso Quesillo Rallado, which I found in the Hispanic section at my local Walmart. They have a terrific variety of Hispanic products there including several styles of chorizo. If your local grocery store is lacking a good Latin section and there are no carnicerias nearby, use Mexican style shredded cheese (most grocery stores have their own brand) or Monterey Jack and any kind of spicy sausage your kids would like.
Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups
Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups can be eaten right out of the oven. Or they can be popped out of their silicone baking cups and frozen for later consumption. To reheat, place in microwave on high for 30-40 seconds.
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Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup frozen pepper strips
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound chorizo
1/3 cup raisins
1 package Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns
12 eggs
3 cups egg whites
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups shredded Queso Quesillo Rallado
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place baking cups in muffin trays, if using. (See note above about silicone, paper and foil baking cups.) Set aside.
In a large frying pan, cook pepper strips, green onions, ground beef and chorizo over medium heat. Stir frequently. Use spoon to break up meat and chop peppers into small pieces. Cook until meat is thoroughly browned.
Add raisins. Stir to thoroughly combine. Turn off heat. Remove from stove top and set aside.
In a large bowl combine eggs, egg whites, salt and pepper. Beat eggs.
In another large bowl, combine hash browns and meat mixture. Mix until combined. Place 1/4 cup of hash brown and meat mixture into baking cups. Baking cups should be filled to almost the top. Do not over fill.
Place almost 1/4 cup of egg mixture into the baking cup. The egg mixture should almost reach the top of the baking cup.
Sprinkle some cheese on top of each muffin cup.
Place muffins in the oven for 12-14 minutes until the top starts to brown. A toothpick inserted in center of cup should come out clean.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Servings: Makes approximately 33 muffins
Serving size: 1-2 muffin cups
Picadillo Hash Brown Muffin Cups is a post from: This Mama Cooks! On a Diet. Stop by for more healthy recipes!