Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins

I'm always on the lookout for new breakfast items!  I like recipes that can be made ahead and then frozen so that I can have something to grab and go on busy mornings (which are most of the mornings around here).   I like to have a little protein with breakfast, and I prefer something savory rather than sweet.  My oldest and youngest both have tastes similar to mine.  In fact, I think they both would pick leftover pizza for breakfast over a sweet bowl of cereal any day! 

I first came across this recipe for Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins while looking through the 2011 Back to School Issue of Family Fun magazine.  I pulled out this recipe thinking it looked like something that we might enjoy.  I made the first batch of these muffins according to the recipe back in January, but I felt they needed a little tweaking before I could call them a family favorite. 

In less than 15 minutes, I made a new batch today, and I can say they've moved into that category.  The girls have a playdate this afternoon, and they all grabbed a muffin from the cooling rack and headed down to the basement saying, "Oooh!  I like these!" on the way down.  I made them using some leftover ham and cheese I found in the deli drawer (from a recipe last week) when I cleaned out the frig this morning.  I plan to freeze the remaining muffins in a ziploc bag and pull one or two out at a time as we need them.  Just 30-45 seconds in the microwave, and we'll have a hearty grab and go breakfast ready to enjoy.

Here's the recipe:

Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
a few shakes of pepper
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup diced ham
1 cup cheddar cheese

1.  Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk.
2.  Mix milk, egg, and oil in a separate small bowl with a whisk.
3.  Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry just until mixed.
4.  Fold in the ham and cheese.
5.  Spoon batter into 12 greased muffin cups.
6.  Bake for 20 minutes at 375 until tops are lightly browned.

These freeze really well!  Just let them cool completely before you put them in a ziploc bag.

To reheat, pull a muffin from the bag in the freezer and microwave 30-45 seconds.  The cheese gets all melty and gooey.  Eat plain or add a bit of sweet cream butter to make them even more delicious.

Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins

What's your favorite savory muffin?