Egg Bites for a Festive Christmas Brunch. It is a time for gatherings and entertaining, sharing the holiday spirit enjoying delicious food, and the company of your guests. These vegetarian egg bites are a great addition to a brunch menu, not only for the season, but for the whole year.
Song of the day: A Marshmallow World by Dean Martin
On a frosty white Sunday morning, we had over our blogger friends Margaret and Raymond Kitchenfrau and together we created a lovely, colorful, festive Christmas brunch.
A 'deck-the-halls' house
Like every year, we get into the Christmas spirit and fully decorate the house and the yard. The tree is a plethora of vintage one-of-a-kind pieces, twinkling lights, and a beautiful angel on top. A train on a track runs around the tree and a Santa on the side, climbs up to help with the lights. Our senior cats love this time of the year, too. Wonton's favorite spot is the skirt under a canopy of sparkling lights, while Bailey is fascinated by the circling motion and noises of the train.
A festive table
As a matter of facts, we not only like to decorate the house, but we also love to set a beautiful table from breakfast to dinner, during the Christmas season, even if it's only for the two of us. When we entertain, though, we go all out and dress the table with the best of our vintage finds (thrifting is another hobby we enjoy doing). This is also the thing that we have in common with our friends, and in fact, this Christmas brunch table is a collection of Margaret's and our China, linen, and accessories.
For colors, we choose white and red with gold accents. A few whimsical pieces complete the look and are great to get smiles out of your guests.
Christmas Brunch Menu
Gingerbread Pancake Men with Caramel Sauce & Spiced Apples
Zucchini & Pepper Egg Bites
Bacon, Buttered Toast
Pumpkin Oat Muffins
Holiday Fruit Salad
Cheesecake Cupcakes with Cranberry Orange Compote
Zimtsterne Cookies, Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Cranberry Apple Cider, Tea, Coffee
A Festive Christmas Brunch
Overall, the menu is a compilation of savory and sweet and there is something for everyone. On the table, there are Margaret's Gingerbread pancakes that we have with caramel sauce and spiced apples; for the savory element we made vegetarian egg bites with zucchini, peppers and onion, followed by crispy thick-cut slightly smoked bacon. On the side there is toasted bread with two kinds of jam (raspberry and yuzu), and some hearty pumpkin oat white chocolate muffins. To bring a little freshness and brightness, a lovely fruit salad containing grapes, pomegranate arils, and raspberries. A cranberry apple cider, tea, and coffee offers a great variety in the beverage department, not to mention, a wonderful accompaniment to the menu.
After some good laughs and meaningful conversations, we are ready to embellish the brunch with the dessert tray, consisting of delectable cheesecake cupcakes with cranberry orange compote, soft Zimtsterne (cinnamon star) cookies, and chewy gooey chocolate cranberry cookies. To take desserts over the top, a few chocolate truffles served in a cute tree-shaped serving dish.
In the end, our stomachs were full and our hearts content. This is what the holiday season is about. You can check Margaret's post on our brunch, here.
Ingredients for the egg bites
For one thing, egg bites (or egg cups), are a wonderful breakfast/brunch item, and also on-the-go hand-held snack. We decided to make them vegetarian but diced ham or cooked bacon can be added. This is what you'll need:
- eggs
- zucchini
- pepper
- green onion
- white onion
- garlic
- e.v.o. oil, salt, pepper, herbs de Provence
- half & half cream (18% cream)
- Aged Asiago cheese (or any good melting cheese)
How to make vegetarian egg bites
- Step 1: Drizzle e.v.o. oil into a medium saute' pan. Toss in diced and chopped vegetables and saute' for a couple minutes. Sprinkle in herbs de Provence and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat down and let saute' for another 3 minutes.
- Step 2: Take off heat and let cool. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, add the cream and 1 cup of the shredded Asiago. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: Grease well a 12 muffin baking tin. Scoop a tablespoon of the vegetable mixture into each muffin tin, then pour the egg mixture until the tins are ¾ full.
- Step 4: Spoon the rest of the vegetable mixture into each tin and sprinkle with the remaining shredded Asiago.
- Step 5: Carefully place in the middle rack of a preheated 370F convection oven and bake for about 17 minutes, however check them at 15 minutes with a cake tester or skewer and if it comes out clean, they're done.
- Step 6: Take out of oven, let cool a bit, then use a knife to separate the sides of each egg bite from the tin. Remove them from the tin and place on a serving platter.
From our family to yours, wishing you the very best of the Christmas season.
PrintEgg Bites for a Festive Christmas Brunch
Egg Bites for a Festive Christmas Brunch. It is a time for gatherings and entertaining, sharing the holiday spirit enjoying delicious food, and the company of your guests. These vegetarian egg bites are a great addition to a brunch menu, not only for the season, but for the whole year.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 12 egg bites 1x
- Category: breakfast, brunch
- Method: Stovetop/Oven
- Cuisine: Mediterranean fusion
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 1 medium zucchini, fine diced
- 1 each small red, yellow and orange pepper, fine diced
- 2 green onion, chopped
- ¼ white onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons e.v.o. oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
- ⅓ cup half & half cream (18% cream)
- 1 ¾ cups Aged Asiago cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Drizzle e.v.o. oil into a medium saute' pan. Toss in diced and chopped vegetables and saute' for a couple minutes.
- Sprinkle in herbs de Provence and season with salt and pepper.
- Turn heat down and let saute' for another 3 minutes.
- Take off heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, add the cream and 1 cup of the shredded Asiago. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grease well a 12 muffin baking tin.
- Scoop a tablespoon of the vegetable mixture into each muffin tin, then pour the egg mixture until the tins are ¾ full.
- Spoon the rest of the vegetable mixture into each tin and sprinkle with the remaining shredded Asiago.
- Carefully place in the middle rack of a preheated 370F convection oven and bake for about 17 minutes, however check them at 15 minutes with a cake tester or skewer and if it comes out clean they're done.
- Take out of oven, let cool a bit, then use a knife to separate the sides of each egg bite from the tin. Remove them from the tin and place on a serving platter.
Notes
They keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Reheat them in the oven for best results.
You can change vegetables and type of good melting cheese. Also, you can add diced ham or cooked bacon.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Margaret@Kitchen Frau says
This brunch was so much fun - everything tasted absolutely delicious. I must say it was a really great variety of dishes. Being in your beautifully decorated home felt so welcoming and really put me in the Christmas mood. What a wonderful day it was!
Thank you, Margaret, it was, as usual, a combination of fun time and lots of delicious foods. We are really lucky to have you as friends. To the next one!