For the past couple of years on Christmas, my Mom makes these amazing Spinach Artichoke Mini quiche-like Muffin Cups for part of our brunch! We used to do this egg casserole but over the years (between cooking time, getting bored of it (in my memory), and wanting to give more exciting gluten free options for our favorite glutard (and favorite girl, Laura). Mom came across this recipe and since then I've been using it for meal prepping (sometimes shifting the ingredients) because they are low in calories, a good delicious source of protein, vitamin D, and calcium. It is a quick and easy recipe too that we've discovered gets BETTER after a day of sitting. (Hard to believe an egg dish gets better the next day, but this one actually does.)

For my schedule and lack of access to a fridge and microwave at work, these have made for a really awesome addition to my meal prep list. They taste great, pack well, are good at room temperature AND warm so you can pretty much eat them however! Sometimes I'll put them on toast with sausage if I need more substantial amounts of food, or just eat alone. They aren't messy either which makes them great for on break at rehearsal! They freeze well so you can make a bunch in advance and reheat when you are ready - if that didn't sell you on trying them....

ITS ARTICHOKE and SPINACH heaven in to-go form... what more could you possibly be looking for!?

Dying to know how to make them? Look below for the recipe!

First things first, you are going to need the following items:

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (costco marinated are great in this recipe)

• 1 package frozen spinach, drained

• 5 eggs, whisked

• 3/4 cup (or 1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2/3 cup milk (any kind - I used 2% but that's just what we had in the fridge)

• 1/2 cup chopped white onion

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 cloves garlic, minced ( I use 3 or 4)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt ( I use "Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt" do yourself a favor and get it.)

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

These items simply put get mixed ALL together.

But a more detailed list of info, hopefully answering some questions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your muffin pan.

2.

- Drain the artichokes if there are in a marinade and chop them separating the leaves from the hearts and hearts so they are smaller and they mix well.

- Drain the frozen spinach... I've tried this a couple of different ways and found the easiest is to let the package thaw (hands won't be green ice cubes and that way you only have to do it one time through) to effectively reduce excess moisture, then using your hands, squeeze it out over a strainer. You may have to do this a couple times with each handful.

- I don't have a slap-chop but wish I did for the onion, your life will be easier. But make sure onion is chopped well so it is evenly distributed. Same with the garlic, though I admit I use 3 or 4 cloves because GARLIC. <3

- Whisk the eggs together and milk in large mixing bowl and add ALL ingredients, stir until well mixed. Shouldn't be too liquid-y a texture.

3. Distribute mix into the muffin baking cups (nearly full, this recipe doesn't rise or expand much).

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the eggs are set (test with toothpick).

Sometimes just letting the quiches sit a few minutes does the trick.

ENJOY!! or STORE!!

I love this recipe and have since tried a couple other variations which eventually I will share. Some included a Christmas chorizo hash brown muffin mix, others just sausage and cheese. I admit the spinach and artichoke mix are still the best, but I don't want to get sick of them so I like to try to keep things interesting. Besides, as I meal prep more and cook more, I'm becoming more daring.

My Mom always says, you cannot be a good cook unless you like to eat and are willing to experiment and take risks.

I'm working on the taking risks part by shifting recipes I have and trying new things - sometimes with large success... others... not so much. But keep your eyes posted for more recipes within the "quiche" family to pop up as I find ones worthy of sharing! Let the experimenting begin!!

If you tried this recipe, let me know how it went!

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