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Green Chile Scrambled Eggs |  |
Year-Round Breakfast Staple. Flexible & Adaptable. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb. High Protein. Naturally Gluten Free. Weekday Easy, Weekend Special.
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Building a Repertoire of Healthy Breakfast Recipes
For almost three years, I cooked breakfast almost every day – not every single day, since lucky me, this big guy is the most creative breakfast cook ever. And LOL, he only needs one two three and certainly no more than four pans to cook breakfast. Thank goodness that man babies his own cast iron!
But during the almost three years when my now 93-year old father lived with us, I became the primary breakfast cook.
Talk about a shock, at first.
Me, I can eat the same thing for breakfast, day-in and day-out for years. But not my husband and certainly not my dad. Those two appreciate Breakfast Diversity, capital B, capital D.
And more than that, breakfast became a sort of gathering time in the long rays of morning light: an appreciation for the gift of another day, recognizing the fresh start that each new day offers.
So over the months, I built a repertoire of new ways to cook eggs, especially. I must have another five or six healthy egg recipes to share with you some time along the way! And I promise, every single one gets made in one pan!
(For anyone wondering, late last year Dad moved a couple of miles down the road to a senior facility able to keep up with his care needs. He's close enough to visit every day!)
My Repertoire of Healthy Breakfasts
In my kitchen, eggs are definitely the go-to protein for breakfast.
I keep all my go-to breakfast recipes close at hand. It's old school but I rely on a 3x5 recipe box right in the kitchen for those special everyday recipes, the ones I make again and again.
The recipe box has three tabs for breakfast foods. "Eggs" for all the ways I cook eggs. "Breakfast" for all the breakfast staples not based on eggs. And "Muffins ETC" for the sweet things, intentionally kept separate to avoid daily temptation!
(That old-fashioned recipe box? It was my grandmother's! The story's here, with Nana's recipe for Spicy Raisin Sauce for Ham.)
Here are the easy, healthy breakfasts I cooked over and over again during those three years of daily breakfasts. You'll note that many of them are vegetable-friendly, it comes naturally to me.
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EGGS for BREAKFAST
- Mexican Scrambled Eggs (Huevos Revueltos a la Mexicana) – the most popular eggs in Mexico
- Green Chile Scrambled Eggs – recipe below!
- How to Make a Spinach Omelet
- Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables) – a traditional North African and Israeli dish, especially good with summer tomatoes
- Never-the-Same-Twice Vegetable Frittata – a master recipe, protein-packed with a silky texture
- French Scrambled Eggs – cooked slowly with a few vegetables, creamy and soft.
- Gashouse Eggs – my dad made Gashouse Eggs when I was a kid!
- Homemade Egg McMuffin – a family favorite
- "My" Fried Eggs – I have a particular way of cooking fried eggs, interested?
- Soft-Boiled Eggs – always get a welcome response
- Breakfast Protein Skillet – you definitely want this recipe!
- Tortilla Eggs – messy looking but so good!
- Lifetime Pancakes – always make Dad's eyes light up, including Mom's, cornmeal, high protein, triple-banana oat, pumpkin and on and on, always with an egg or two
- Magical Breakfast Cream – admittedly, this one's for me, the woman at the table
- Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad – this one's taken over my summer!
- Creamy Oatmeal – a big pot almost every Monday, then rewarmed throughout the week, often with an egg on top!
- Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole
- Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole
- Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots – never eaten as "breakfast cereal," always as a garnish for oatmeal, yogurt, fresh fruit
- Toast – so much toast, nearly always Our Daily Bread and toasted in a skillet
- Smoothies – so many smoothies, in summer often Cucumber Smoothies; when oranges are plentiful Orange Julius Drinks except with no added sugar and enriched with protein; plus year-round Green Smoothies
- Bacon – not that often but always welcomed, Baked Bacon
BREAKFAST IDEAS BEYOND EGGS
BREAKFAST MEAL PREP
BREAKFAST EXTRAS
How Do You Put Breakfast On the Table?
Or maybe the first question should be, Do you make or eat breakfast at all? Especially with interest in intermittent fasting, are even more of us skipping breakfast?
So yeah, let's start here, Is breakfast important to you? how does breakfast (or breakfast food, no matter the timing) fit into your life?
And if you are eating breakfast, what's in your breakfast repertoire? I'm especially interested in how readers handle busy weekday mornings before work, school and, well, life.
And do you have a guilty pleasure for breakfast? Me, when blueberries are abundant and (relatively) inexpensive, I could eat Cheerios and fresh blueberries 3x a day! Total summer obsession! You???
RESOURCES
Odds are high that 99.99% of all kitchens have all the tools on hand to scramble eggs. But here are two things that get a real workout in my kitchen, two things I use virtually every day, some times more than once.
JUST SO YOU KNOW This sections includes affiliate links. I personally selected these items —and if you buy something through these links, Kitchen Parade may earn a small commission. Every bit helps, so thank you! 
My Disclosure Promise
- MY EVERYDAY SKILLET Has anyone else decided that non-stick skillets are semi-disposable? I no longer expect one to last a lifetime and just count on replacing a much-used non-stick skillet every couple of years. So far, I've used this large non-stick skillet day-in and day-out for more than a year, it's still going strong. I love the double handles. I love that it's oven-safe. I love that it has a clear lid! And when this workhorse wears out, which it will, I'll buy another without hesitation. It's the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Non Stick Hard Anodized Skillet with a Lid.
- NON-STICK SPATULA This is the only spatula I use, I don't even own a metal spatula! And it's the same spatula I've used for, ummmmm, more than 20 years, not the same spatula, since it's needed replacing a few times. It's strong enough for anything I cook but thin enough to slip beneath pancakes. It fits a woman's hands and fits neatly into a regular kitchen drawer. It's the Berndes Non Stick Spatula.
- TORTILLA WARMER This thing is big and it's ugly but damn, it keeps tortillas and pancakes warm. And here's the thing, uncooked tortillas are a-w-f-u-l, just raw and floury tasting. Warm tortillas? Just lovely. So for Taco Tuesday or any other gathering where it makes sense to keep tortillas warm, one of these earns a place in my kitchen, anyway. It's the Nordic Ware Microwave Tortilla Warmer.
You'll Love Green Chile Scrambled Eggs If You Like ...
- plain scrambled eggs but with a twist
- to work vegetables into every meal, even breakfast
- to put a hot healthy breakfast on the table quick-quick
- Ready to get started? Here's your recipe!
GREEN CHILE SCRAMBLED EGGS
Time-to-table: 15 minutes
Makes about 2-1/2 cups scrambled eggs to serve 4
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EGG MIXTURE
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (caraway is excellent too)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) low-fat cottage cheese or non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 4-ounce can green chiles (see below for fresh alternatives)
-
GET SCRAMBLIN'!
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- Egg Mixture
- 1 ounce (28g) cheese (see TIPS for ideas), cut or crumbled into tiny cubes
-
EAT UP!
- Tortillas, brushed lightly with oil & warmed in a skillet, optional
- Avocado slices & mini tomatoes, optional but look pretty on the plate!
- Chopped cilantro, optional
- Salsa, optional
- Spiced Pickled Red Onions, optional
TIMING TIP Before starting to mix the eggs, brown the tortillas and make sure the cheese is cut into cubes. These eggs are going to cook quick-quick!
EGGS MIXTURE In a large bowl, use a whisk or a large meat fork to whisk the eggs, then whisk in the baking powder, cumin and salt. With a spoon or spatula, gently stir in the cottage cheese or Greek yogurt and green chiles.
GET SCRAMBLIN' Heat a large, non-stick skillet on medium-low heat, add the butter and let melt. Pour the eggs into the warm skillet and let begin to cooking without moving, it's okay to increase the heat to medium but to remain tender, the eggs should cook a tad slowly. Once the eggs begin to thicken on the bottom of the skillet, sprinkle the top with the cheese cubes. Then use a spatula to scrape the eggs from the center of the skillet to the sides, depositing the more-cooked egg mixture toward the outer (and cooler) area of the skillet and letting the uncooked egg mixture fill in the center (and hotter) area – do this a few times, the idea is to allow tender clumps of cooked egg to form. If you like, once the clumps have formed but the eggs aren't quite cooked yet (you can tell, the eggs are still cooking when they're still wet and shiny), swirl the tip of the spatula throughout to "scramble" the eggs. Don't overthink this, stay close and just make sure to cook the eggs completely! But don't let them brown or get dry, this can happen if you walk away or the the skillet is to hot.
EAT UP! Place a warm tortilla on a plate, top with cooked eggs. Garnish with avocado sliced, mini tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Serve salsa and Spiced Pickled Red Onions on the side. Dig in!
LEFTOVERS keep for a day or two, they make great breakfast quesadillas. In fact, Green Chile Scrambled Eggs would make excellent breakfast burritos, too.
VARIATIONS For breakfast bowls, fill one of those crisp taco bowls (you know, the ones used for taco salads) with Green Chile Scrambled Eggs, sliced iceberg lettuce, some warm beans, maybe some rice or Mexican Cauliflower "Rice", then top with avocado and tomato. And some bacon, maybe? So good!
FRESH ALTERNATIVES for CANNED GREEN CHILES
No doubt, a small can of green chiles is quick and easy to pull from the pantry, it's my choice 80% of the time. But when there's a little extra time, here are some of the substitutes I've tried, all are very, very good – better than the can, frankly, just requiring a little more thought and effort.
- Freshly roasted Anaheim, poblano or Hatch chiles, usually roasted one or two at a time while the coffee cooks before breakfast, see How to Roast a Pepper on a Gas Stove but some times, especially this time of year when fresh peppers and chiles are abundant and inexpensive, roasted by the trayful, see How to Roast Peppers in the Oven.
- A sautéed green pepper, especially from the garden, they're so so good!
- An impromptu tomatillo sauce, just tomatillos, garlic, a jalapeño and salt processed in a mini food processor.
- A fresh tomatillo salsa, just tomatillos, green pepper, fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
- Let your creativity inspire!
More than for most dishes, I think, it depends.
- Three Servings? For scrambled eggs, I usually allow 2 eggs per person, so six eggs would make 3 servings.
- Four Servings? But these scrambled eggs are bulked up with cottage cheese and the chiles, so how about 4 servings?
- One Larger and Two Smaller Servings? And that's how it worked here, when there were three of us for breakfast. My big-eater husband ate half the eggs, my smaller-appetite elderly father and I split the remaining half. That puts a "single serving" at about 2/3 of a cup of the scrambled eggs, a very satisfying amount especially with avocado, tomato and a tortilla alongside.
- At Your Table? You'll have to see but I wanted to give you a heads up.
Cottage cheese has slightly more protein (12 grams) than Greek yogurt (11g) but that's not why I prefer it in Green Chile Scrambled Eggs. Cottage cheese adds a cheesiness that Greek yogurt doesn't, that means that you can use less actual cheese. Still, non-fat Greek yogurt is Weight Watchers friendly so I get why it's going to be the choice for many Kitchen Parade readers! But "less cheese" is also why I specify cutting up tiny cubes of cheese, the eggs turn out tasting cheesier when there are tiny bits of melted cheese. Grated cheese just melts into the eggs, making the dish richer but not quite as cheesy. That said, better grated cheese than none at all, if that's what's on hand. Which cheese to choose? Whatever's on hand! But if there's a choice, go for something firm and creamy like mozzarella, fontina, pepper jack and any of the Mexican cheeses, especially queso fresco, Oaxaca and my favorite cotija. Who's noticed? Trader Joe's now has cotija! Finally! I do try to avoid a greasy cheddar.
WEIGHT WATCHERS (0% Greek yogurt is assumed for Freestyle) Old Points 5 & PointsPlus 5 & SmartPoints 6 & Freestyle 2 & myWW green 6 & blue 2 & purple 2 Seasonal Cooking: Late Summer, Across the Years
Chicken à la King Peach Uncobbler Grilled Pepper Salads Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon Cantaloupe Smoothie Creamy Ricotta with Tomato-Cucumber-Corn Salad Jerusalem Turkey Burgers with Zucchini BATTLE Sandwiches
More Healthy Breakfast Ideas
(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)
from Kitchen Parade
~ Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad ~
~ Baked Eggs with Ratatouille Vegetables ~
~ Green Pepper Frittata ~
~ more breakfast & brunch recipes ~
(all with vegetables!)
from A Veggie Venture
August & September:
Prime Time to Feed a Green Chile Obsession
(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)
from Kitchen Parade
~ Quick Green Chile Stew ~
~ Savory Sweet Potato Casserole ~
~ Supper Casserole with Pumpkin & Green Chile Cornbread Topping ~
from A Veggie Venture
Shop Your Pantry First
(helping home cooks save money on groceries)~ egg recipes ~
~ green chile recipes ~
~ cottage cheese recipes ~
~ yogurt recipes ~
~ cheese recipes ~
~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~
Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.
Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.
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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna