Spinach, Bacon and Cheese Breakfast Muffins for #MuffinMonday

This month, in celebration of Leap Year, Stacy has chosen to do a theme for Muffin Monday.  Stacy has chosen for us to use "unusual" ingredients to honor this "unusual" event.

I'm not used to having a theme and it has been a crazy busy month so last week I made up some corn muffins to go with dinner, wrote my post, scheduled my post and then remembered there was a theme.  So, you, my lucky readers got an extra muffin post this month.

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

So then I had to put my thinking cap back on and decide what kind of muffin I could make that would be unusual.  I opened the refrigerator and saw half of a bag of baby spinach that needed to be used before it wilted.  Spinach Muffins?  Why not.  I decided to make savory breakfast muffins because I love spinach in my omelets or making spinach benedicts.  I pulled out some bacon bits and colby cheese from the fridge along with the spinach, an egg, butter and some buttermilk.

1.  Mix together the dry ingredients including the bacon and cheese.

2. Wilt the spinach in the hot butter, add the buttermilk to cool the mixture.

3. Add the spinach mixture and egg to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

4. Using an ice cream scoop fill a 6 cup muffin tin that was treated with cooking spray.

It took only a matter of minutes to throw these together and in less than a half hour we had a hot breakfast muffin to take along with us as we began our day.

Spinach, Bacon and Cheese Breakfast Muffins

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 c. colby cheese, shredded or cheese of choice

3 oz. bacon bits or 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

3 T. butter

5 oz. baby spinach leaves

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 egg. lightly beaten

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cheese and bacon in a med bowl.  Place butter and spinach in a large bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds if butter is not completely melted.  Stir in buttermilk to the spinach and butter.  Add to dry ingredients stir lightly and then add egg and stir just until combined.  Place batter in a prepared 6 cup muffin tin and bake in a preheated 350* oven for 18-20 minutes, until browned and a skewer inserted in the center removes cleanly.  Print Recipe

Enjoy these other "unusual" muffins

• Berry Mango Swirl Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Brown Sugar, Pistachio and Garam Masala Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Carrot Muffins from Kelli's Kitchen
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Cardamom Browned Butter from The Spiced Life
• Marmite Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Prawn and Curry Leaf Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Spinach, Bacon and Cheese Breakfast Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.