One of my favorite things to do is replicate “convenience foods” at home, and for the past couple of weeks I’ve been seeing ads for these new breakfast cups where you just crack an egg into the cup, which contains a mix of meat and vegetables, stir it up, microwave, and poof you have an instant breakfast. As soon as I saw that I knew that would be a perfect DIY project and I went to work immediately. And just as I suspected, they were just as easy, convenient, and yummy as I suspected! So, today I bring you a breakfast meal prep: Make Ahead Microwave Breakfast Scrambles!
Store Bought vs. Homemade
I haven’t seen these new breakfast cups in the store yet, but after a little googling I found a press release that list the suggested retail price as $2.49 each. …And that’s without the egg. Yeah, you have to add your own egg. LOL. My Make Ahead Microwave Breakfast Scrambles ended up being just under a dollar each, and that’s including two eggs each. The other reason I like the idea of making these scrambles at home is that there is waaayyy less packaging (the store bought kind has each ingredient individually wrapped and is in a disposable cup) and you can pick the quality of ingredients you’re using. The only downside is that the homemade version will only stay fresh in your fridge for about 4-5 days, whereas I’m sure the store bought ones have a longer shelf life. The shorter shelf life is totally worth it, IMHO.
BTW, these make ahead breakfast scrambles are stored in the fridge without the egg. You add the egg just before cooking.
Flavor Options
I made my Microwave Breakfast Scrambles Denver Omelet style with onion, bell pepper, ham, and cheddar, but there are so many other combos that you could do! Here are some fun ideas:
- cooked bacon, cooked hash browns/cubed potatoes, and cheddar
- grape tomatoes, fresh chopped spinach, feta
- cooked sausage, red bell peppers, mozzerella
The funny thing is that the same brand that makes the convenience breakfast cups also sells large bags (maybe 1 pound?) of frozen potatoes with diced bell peppers and onions, which were $2.49 per bag at my store. So think about that for a second. You could simply buy one of their bags of potatoes, peppers, and onions for the price of just one breakfast cup, add some cheese and eggs, and you’d have enough to probably make 12 of these breakfast scrambles. It pays to keep your eyes open! :)
Tips for Cooking Eggs in the Microwave
And one last piece of important info: cooking eggs in the microwave can be tricky. Here are a few pointers:
- Heat in short intervals of 15-30 seconds, stirring between each. It should only take about one minute, depending on your container and the power of your microwave, to fully cook the eggs.
- Stop cooking when the eggs are still moist. Overcooked eggs are a tragedy and why microwave eggs get a super bad rap.
- If you choose to store your Make Ahead Microwave Breakfast Scrambles in glass jars, I suggest pouring the contents into a ceramic mug before heating. In my testing I’ve found the ceramic mugs heat the eggs a little slower and more evenly, making it easier to prevent overcooking the eggs and giving the final scramble a MUCH better texture. Furthermore, wide and shallow mugs work a little better than tall narrow mugs.
- Always drape a paper towel or place a loose cover of some sort over your mug while microwaving to prevent splatter from “popping.”
Make Ahead Microwave Breakfast Scrambles
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 oz. ham, diced ($1.00)
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper ($0.44)
- 1/4 cup diced onion ($0.08)
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar ($0.50)
- 2 tsp butter ($0.09)
- 1/2 tsp seasoning salt ($0.05)
- 8 large eggs ($1.77)
Instructions
- Divide the ham, bell pepper, onion, and cheddar between four resealable containers*. Cut the butter into 4, 1/2 teaspoon-sized pieces, and add one to each container. Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon seasoning salt into each container.
- Seal the containers and store them for up to 4-5 days.
- When you’re ready to prepare a microwave breakfast scramble, pour the ingredients of the container into a ceramic mug, add two large eggs, and stir to combine.
- Loosely cover the mug with a paper towel or another microwave-safe object and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir the contents of the mug and microwave for 15 seconds more. Stir again and continue to microwave for 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until the eggs are mostly set, but still moist. Serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Microwave Breakfast Scrambles – Step by Step Photos
For my Make Ahead Microwave Breakfast Scrambles, I used 2oz. deli ham (diced), 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (about 1/2 large bell pepper), 1/4 cup diced onion (about 1/4 onion), and 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar. This recipe is great for sweeping the kitchen and making sure you’re using up all your ingredients, because you don’t need a lot of anything! Just be aware of the shelf life of your ingredients. The shelf life doesn’t start over when you use them in something new. :)
Divide your ingredients between four containers (you can use any type of air-tight container to store your scrambles in the refrigerator). Also add 1/2 tsp butter to each and about 1/8 tsp seasoning salt. Close the containers and pop them in the fridge. The egg does not get stored in the container with the other ingredients, it is added just before cooking.
When you’re ready to make one of your microwave breakfast scrambles, dump the contents of the container into a ceramic mug and add two large eggs. Ceramic mugs heat the eggs more evenly and will give you a much better result than a glass jar or plastic container.
Give it a good stir before it goes into the microwave to “scramble” the egg.
Cover the mug loosely with a paper towel or another microwave-safe object and microwave on high for 30 seconds. You can see how it begins to cook around the outer edges first. That’s why it’s important to stir and stir often when you cook eggs in the microwave.
Now, give it a good stir before placing it back into the microwave. At this point, since it’s already warmed up, you want to switch to 15 second intervals. Microwave on high for 15 seconds, stir, do another 15 seconds, then assess…
This was my mug at 60 seconds. Now, the speed at which your eggs will cook will depend on the power of your microwave and the container you’re cooking them in, so you’ll need to play it by ear. At this point my eggs were mostly cooked, but there was a large bit in the center that was still liquid. So I stirred and did only 15 seconds more…
And then it was finished. For me it was 75 seconds total. You want to stop when the eggs are set, but still soft and moist. If anything, err on slightly under cooked because the eggs will continue to cook ever so slightly from residual heat after you take them out of the microwave. Serve the breakfast scramble immediately for the best taste and texture! :)
I am so excited to see this. I’ve been looking for a way to cook an egg breakfast at work. I’m going to try it in a Pyrex storage bowl, then cook it in the same bowl.
I saw these Jimmy Dean cups in my store’s ad for $2.69. WAY cheaper to make them yourself.
Excited to try these. Thank you!
I could see this working with any vegetable that does well in a stir-fry. Mushrooms (may have to cook them before depending on the type), soy sprouts, green beans, garlic scapes, carrots, even bamboo shoots if you’re not afraid of the stink. If I want a new breakfast staple (currently making a new batch of savoury muffins every week), I’ll try this!
This is perfect for me for work!
Is there a reason you can’t cook the eggs in the Mason jar the ingredients are stored in? 🤔
I listed some tips above the recipe for best results, including my explanation about the ceramic mug. When I tested the recipe I found that the ceramic mugs gave much better results than microwaving it in the glass jar. I’m not sure exactly why, but I suspect that the ceramic is a bit more insulating so it cooked the eggs more evenly and prevented them from overcooking as easily. :)
Hello Beth,
Would a Ramekin work for these, instead of a mug? Would it be too small? This is such a great idea!
I suppose it depends on the size of your ramekin. I think anything about 12oz. or larger should work alright!
This looks like a good idea! I need to start getting more creative with what I put in my scrambles.
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/passion-fruit-colada/
I could see prepping the ingredients ahead but I’d just cook them in a pan. The store bought cups are way overpriced.
At 75 seconds of cooking time, this takes about the same time as cooking a one egg scramble in a pan and with a non-stick skillet, about the same amount of butter per egg. Does the egg stick to the sides of the mug or would cooking spray be a good idea? The real time saver is pre-measuring and storing the add-ins. In my case–I prefer softened bell pepper and onion–that means saute the veggies ahead of time, although I sometimes do that fat free on a plate covered with plastic wrap in the microwave. My usual practice is to saute more onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms than I need for a weekend recipe and use them during the following week for my 1 egg omelets and DH’s more time consuming breakfast tacos. I can see the cleanup advantage, however, and might even chose to pack things in the mug with cling wrap over it to start with, although I haven’t tried to put a cold mug in the microwave. I could even pack this to work in a little jar and have breakfast as my early morning break or a non-trad lunch. LOVE your little squares of seasoned butter!
I think the reason to do these like this would be, generally, to eat them on the go or at the office IMO. Otherwise I too would just cook fresh in a pan at home. The pre-made product she’s talking about is advertised such to be an on-the-go or at-the-office type breakfast.
The egg does stick a bit, but I’m not sure spray would help after you stir everything together. This method is great for prepping ahead even if you want to dump it into a skillet instead of the microwave. :)
I regularly make something like this when I don’t have any leftovers for lunch, but rather than a scramble, I use a buttered ramekin to make a mini-frittata. I then often put it on toast for a breakfast sandwich.
This would also be great with the pre-chopped frozen hashbrown/pepper mix and/or wrapped in the appropriate tortilla.
I’m so glad you made these! I bought a couple of the brand name ones (because marketing really works) and the concept is genius but the price not so much so I’m looking forward to trying these at home!
Oh my gosh, I had to laugh when I saw this and send it immediately to my boyfriend because I have been seeing those commercials and they make me unnaturally angry, ha ha! So much waste! SO easy to make at home! So THANK YOU for making this! I sent this article to him and was like, I have someone else on my side!
Yummy!!!!! :-)