Friends, I have a new favorite way to cook eggs—in a mug, in a microwave.
No kidding. For realz!
Why??? Well first, it takes only a couple minutes to make, and clean-up is easy.
Second, while so many microwave mug recipes result in a poor substitute for something properly cooked, a microwaved mug omelette is surprisingly tender and delicious.
Third, when I’m trying to eat light, this way of cooking eggs cuts down substantially on added fat. It just uses a quick spray of cooking oil (or a wipe of olive oil) on the inside of the mug. (For those of you who count calories, I counted 200 in this recipe, your analysis may vary.)
Perfect for those times when the day gets away from you and it’s 2 in the afternoon and you haven’t even had breakfast yet (my life more often than I care to admit).
Or if you want to make use of the office kitchen that comes equipped with a microwave? Bring some cooking spray, a carton of eggs, some pre-chopped mix-ins, and you’re set for the week.
Microwave cooking works by agitating water molecules, meaning that it turns moisture into steam. So the eggs get cooked evenly and gently, which is exactly what you want when you are making an omelette.
Tips for success:
Use a large mug (12 to 16 ounces) because the egg expands like a soufflé, and if the mug isn’t large enough, the rising tower of egg omelette may spill over and cause a mess.
Use a microwave-safe mug! (For obvious reasons)
Add a tablespoon of milk or water, this will help keep cook the eggs more evenly from the inside, and help keep the eggs from expanding too quickly.
(I experimented with making a simple egg omelette in a small mug without adding liquid and it exploded egg guts all over the inside of my microwave, so use a large mug, and add liquid.)
Play around with the times so they work for your microwave. My microwave is 1000 watts, and when I include all of the add-ins in this recipe (cheese, bell pepper, etc.) the timing that works best for me is 30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds, stir, 20 seconds, done. With no add-ins, the timing that works for me is 30-20-20.
Omelette in a Mug Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp grated cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives or green onion greens
- Pinch salt
- Pinch of black pepper
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