Sausage and Gruyere Egg Bites

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 325 F.
2. Prepare a muffin tin by generously spraying each cavity with nonstick spray or brushing with oil. This recipe makes 24 egg bites. You may bake in batches using a standard 12 cup muffin pan or use a large 24 cup muffin pan if you have one. Proper greasing is important to prevent sticking.
3. Place a pan over medium heat and add the breakfast sausage. Cook the sausage, breaking it apart as it browns, until fully cooked through. The pieces should be small enough to fit comfortably in the muffin cups and allow the egg mixture to pour around them. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. While the sausage cooks, grate the gruyere cheese using the larger holes on a box grater. This helps the cheese melt evenly throughout the egg bites.
5. Add the eggs, evaporated milk, salt, and black pepper to a blender. Blend for about forty-five seconds, until the mixture is fully combined and slightly aerated. This blending step helps create a tender, uniform texture.
6. Add about one tablespoon of the cooked sausage to each muffin cavity. Evenly distribute the grated gruyere cheese across all the muffin cups.
7. Carefully pour the egg mixture into each muffin cavity, filling just below the rim. The eggs will expand slightly as they cook. Because the sausage and cheese may prevent the eggs from settling evenly, gently tap or shake the pan to level the mixture, then add more egg mixture as needed.
8. Bake at 325 F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the egg bites are fully set in the center. They should be just set and pale, not browned.