An Inspired Cook

A few weeks ago I found an oversized muffin pan while thrifting.  It caught my eye and I began to imagine what I could make in it.  Cupcake wrappers would definitely be too small to fit inside so unless I wanted to make naked cupcakes I would need to find other uses for it.  When I started looking online I found that there are multiple pinterest boards filled with muffin tin recipes.  The ideas were endless but I found myself going back to the hash brown nests.  They were so cute and I loved the idea of a cracked egg over top.   My first attempt failed miserably, the hash browns stuck to the pan, even though I thoroughly buttered it.  I decided I needed a better way to remove the nest from the pan without tearing it so I made my own wrappers out of aluminum foil.  It worked great!  I formed them to the pan and after they were cooked I found it easy to slide them out and unwrap them.  The hash brown nests were cooked to perfection and filled with all the things we love, bacon, tomato, cheese and egg.  So cute and delicious they would be perfect for brunch!

As you can see this pan is much larger than your average muffin pan.  I lined the pan with 7″ x 7″ sheets of aluminum foil. Wrapping it  around the outside of the muffin cup first makes it easier to mold inside the cup.  Not the prettiest wrappers but it does the job.

I’ve tried frozen hash browns and making my own from scratch, but I’ve found (at least for me) the best way to make the nests is with the dehydrated hash browns you find in a box.  They rehydrate in minutes and cook up crisp.  I filled the nest with a little bacon, cheese, egg, salt and pepper.  And after I took this photo I added a little chopped tomato.

Rehydrate the hash browns according to package directions.

Mix in 2 egg whites to bind the hash browns together.

Divide the hash browns evenly into the six molds.  Press along the bottom and up the sides of the mold.  Bake at 475 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes.

The hash browns have crisped, now it’s time to begin filling them.  I divided my bacon bits among the 6 nests.

Next, a little bit of cheddar cheese.

A few little pieces of chopped tomato.

Topped with a cracked egg, salt and pepper.  Place back in 475 degree oven for an additional 10 – 12 minutes.

Easily unwrap and enjoy!





Birds’s Nest Brunch

1 (4.2 ounce) package Dehydrated Hash Brown Potatoes
2 Egg Whites
3 slices Bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
3 tablespoons Tomato, chopped
6 Eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Line a large oversized muffin pan with sheets of aluminum foil.  Spray aluminum molds with cooking spray.  **Note  I lined the oversized pans with 7″ x 7″ sheets of aluminum foil.

Rehydrate hash brown potatoes according to package instructions.  Pour into a bowl and stir in egg whites to bind the hash browns together.  Divide equally between six muffin cups and spread on the bottom and up the sides of the mold.  Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.  Nests should be lightly browned, but may not be fully cooked on the bottom.

Remove nests from oven and begin filling with bacon bits, grated cheese and tomato.  Crack one egg over top of each filled nest.  Salt and pepper and bake an additional 10 – 12 minutes.

Slide molds from pan and unwrap.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 nests.