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Bird’s Nest Breakfast Cups

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Bird’s Nest Breakfast Cups are a fun way to eat eggs and hash browns for breakfast. These baked egg cups combine hash browns and cheese to form a “nest” and are topped with an egg.

three hash brown egg cups on a white plate

Serve these breakfast cups with buttermilk waffles, bacon or sausage, and blueberry muffins.

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Do you ever have breakfast for dinner? We like to do that sometimes and these eggs in a nest are perfect.

They also warm up really well so you can meal prep them on Sunday and have them ready for breakfast all week.

collage of bird's nest breakfast cups prep - hash browns in a bowl

BAKED EGG CUPS INGREDIENTS

  • Hash browns – Use frozen, shredded hash browns, thawed.
  • Olive oil – Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
  • Cheddar Cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese is what I like to use but mozzarella, Swiss, or American would be good, too.
  • Eggs – You’ll need 12 large eggs.
  • Cooking Spray – I like to use Trader Joe’s olive oil spray.
  • Salt & pepper – To taste.
  • Optional Toppings – Crumbled bacon, more cheese.

eggs cracked into hash brown cups in a muffin tin

HOW TO MAKE EGGS IN A NEST

Making these eggs is really easy. If 12 breakfast cups are too many for you, this recipe can easily be halved.

First, preheat your oven to 450 and spray your muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the hash browns, olive oil, cheese, and salt & pepper to taste.

Then, use a cookie scoop to divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin tins. Use the back of the cookie scoop (or a Tablespoon…or your thumb) to make an indent in the middle to make your nest.

Give the tops of the nests another spray with cooking spray then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Take them out and let them cool for about 15 minutes. Reduce your oven temp to 425 in the meantime.

Once slightly cooled, crack an egg into each nest. Top with any toppings, if desired (bacon, salt & pepper, more cheese, etc.)

Bake for 12 more minutes or until set to your favorite level of doneness.

Serve warm.

bird's nest breakfast cups in a muffin tin

TOOLS TO HELP YOU MAKE BIRD’S NEST BREAKFAST CUPS

  • Muffin Pan – Either the 12 well muffin pan or 6 well, if you want to halve the recipe.
  • Spatulas – Spatulas that I use for everything.
  • Cookie Scoop – Not only for cookies, using a cookie scoop helps to easily portion out the hash brown mixture into the muffin wells.

plate of egg in hash brown cups with cracked yolk spilling out

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three hash brown egg cups on a white plate

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overhead shot of bird's nest breakfast cups on white plate with forks

HOW TO MAKE BIRD’S NEST EGGS

Birds Nest Breakfast Cups

Melissa Williams | Persnickety Plates
Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups are a fun way to eat eggs and hash browns for breakfast. These baked egg cups combine hash browns and cheese to form a "nest" and are topped with an egg.
4.31 from 23 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 152 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 16 oz frozen hash browns thawed
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 12 eggs
  • cooking spray
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add hash browns, olive oil, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper and mix together.
  • Divide hash brown mixture between 12 muffin cups (use a cookie scoop to make your life easier). Each one will hold a generous ¼ cup.
  • Press the hash browns in to the muffin tin. Make a small depression in the middle, shaping it into a nest.
  • Generously spray the tops of the hash brown nest with cooking spray.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the hash browns are golden brown. Keep an eye on them for the last few minutes to ensure they don’t burn. Let the hash brown nests cool for about 15 minutes.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
  • Crack an egg into each nest.
  • Bake for 12 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolk is your desired doneness.
  • Serve warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Once you crack the egg into each cup, before baking them, you can also top with cooked bacon pieces and more cheese, if desired.
If you like less yolk, before baking the eggs, break each yolk with a fork.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 152kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 129mgPotassium: 177mgVitamin A: 330IUVitamin C: 3.1mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 1.2mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying/pasting and/or screenshots of full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.

Originally published May 12, 2012.

bird's nest breakfast cups topped with bacon



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  1. Alex says

    These sound really good! I might need to try this out this week.

  2. Evelyn says

    I ‘m sure I could start my day with one or two 🙂 of these! What is the best way to reheat them?

    • Melissa Williams says

      I just pop them in the microwave but I’ll bet they’re even better warmed in a toaster oven 🙂

  3. Sandra Fisher says

    Could these be made and frozen?

    • Melissa Williams says

      I think that should work. I haven’t tested because we always eat them all lol

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