she cooks…he cleans

Adapted from Santa Fe Kitchens
(The Museum of New Mexico Foundation)

I made this recipe a few weeks ago as a casserole for a breakfast gathering, but thought it would also make good muffins.  I was right!    Each little muffin was a buttery, cheesy mouthful…not too egg-y…and the crust around the edges gives it more depth of flavor.  If you’re not a fan of crusty cheese (…what’s wrong with you?!), the casserole version can be cut in bite-sized squares and they are also yummy.

We really try to avoid eating grains, but this recipe does call for a bit of flour.  I cut down the amount of flour considerably from the original recipe, and used some gluten-free flour when I made this.  It might even work without flour….if anyone tries leaving out the flour, let me know how it comes out!

I also added some bacon….because everything’s better with bacon!

Ingredients:

• 10 large eggs
• 1/2  t salt
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 c flour (try to use gluten-free flour if possible)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated  (I used 1/2 pound Pepper Jack and 1/2 pound white cheddar)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1-2 cans green chiles, diced and well drained, mild or hot (or fresh chiles, diced)
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crispy, chopped (optional)

To taste (optional):  Tabasco sauce, ground black pepper, paprika

Preheat oven to 375F.  Beat eggs lightly in a large bowl.  Blend in salt, baking powder, and flour with a whisk until blended.  Stir in ricotta cheese, grated cheeses and melted butter.  Stir in chiles, bacon, Tabasco sauce, pepper (and other seasonings if used), until well mixed.

Spoon mixture into a well-greased muffin pans (I used mini-muffins, but regular sized muffins should also work.)  Bake until tops are brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean (around 15-20 minutes for mini-muffins).  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Alternatively, the mixture can be poured into a greased 9×13 baking dish.  Put in 400F oven for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350F and bake 35-40 more minutes until done.  Cut into squares and serve hot or at room temperature.

No music this time! The breakfast these were made for was held near our house in New Mexico at an incredibly beautiful place, the Alan Houser compound. Houser was a Native American artist whose son has created a gorgeous garden around his fathers spectacular creations, set in the awe inspiring Northern New Mexico landscape.

So, if you’re ever in the area, you should really take a tour. It’s a humbling experience. And then cross the road and knock on our door…maybe we’ll have muffins!