Sweet potato, chilli and cheese breakfast muffins
Breakfast; in an ideal world it would be enjoyed leisurely. Perfect mornings start with a cup of our favourite tea and a bowl of something wholesome, filling and energising ready to set us up for the day ahead.
In reality though this just isn't always the case and more often than not our breakfast rituals turn into rushed affairs, either gobbled down in the car on the way to work or simple skipped until we feel our tummies grumbling mid-morning.
January especially is often a busy month. As we try to readjust to our routines after the Christmas break breakfast can take a back seat. We all know that a healthy breakfast is integral to a healthy diet and with this in mind Julia and George have shared a seasonal recipe that's perfect for those days when something quick, tasty and filling is needed. The protein in these muffins will help keep you full until lunch and the subtle yet fiery spice from the chilli is perfect to kick start your metabolism.
Sweet Potato, Chilli and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 600g sweet potatoes or 1/2 a butternut squash
- 4 spring onions
- 1-2 fresh red chillies (vary depending on your tolerance for spice)
- 6 large eggs
- 3 tbsp cottage cheese
- 250g wholemeal self-raising flour
- 50g parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases or 15cm folded squares of greaseproof paper, then lightly wipe each one with oiled kitchen paper.
- Peel the sweet potatoes or squash and coarsely grate into a large bowl. (or use a food processor)
- Trim the spring onions, then finely slice with the chilli and add to the bowl, reserving half the chilli to one side.
- Crack in the eggs, add the cottage cheese and flour, then finely grate in most of the Parmesan and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix until nicely combined.
- Evenly divide the muffin mixture between the cases. Sprinkle over the sunflower and poppy seeds, then dot over the reserved slices of chilli. Use the remaining Parmesan to give a light dusting of cheese over each one, then bake at the bottom of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes (if using squash, it’ll be a bit quicker – check after 35 minutes), or until golden and set.
These are great served warm 5 minutes after taking them out of the oven, and good kept in the fridge for a couple of days.
If your schedule doesn't leave you time for making breakfast muffins though don't beat yourself up about it - pop into the cafe and buy some of ours!
