Eat Plants, Feel Good: Savory Brunch Bites

Brunch is such a lovely meal... a cross between breakfast and lunch that features the best of both worlds. I've always enjoyed eating brunch with friends, but it can be a bit tricky at times because I absolutely HATE eggs! I'm fine if the eggy taste is hidden inside a recipe and masked by other flavors, but I can't stand the egg bakes, omelettes, and other egg-heavy dishes usually found at a brunch. My husband and I recently hosted a brunch for 25 people at our home, and I made it my mission to create a new recipe that could be enjoyed by everyone - especially me. :) This Savory Brunch Bites recipe does include two eggs, but they're impossible to taste because there are so many other competing flavors.

P.S. It took me 3 tries to get this recipe to work the way I wanted, so I'll give you some tips/tricks/warnings along the way as I tell you how to make them.

SAVORY BRUNCH BITES

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup flour of your choice ( I used whole wheat pastry flour)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. thyme

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. flaxseed (not necessary to the recipe, but it boosts the nutritional value of the bites)

1 1/4 cups cheese of your choice ( I used full-fat mozzarella)

2 large eggs

3/4 cup water

1 medium potato

1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted

2-3 large button mushrooms, diced.

1/2 of a medium red pepper, diced

3 green onions, chopped

1. Gather ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Chop and dice vegetables. Grate cheese and potato until completely shredded. Place shredded potato in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt. This will pull some of the extra moisture out of the potato and keep the bites from getting soggy. This is VERY IMPORTANT. I didn't do this the first time I made the recipe, and the bites were soggy and damp. Yuck.

2. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

3. Add shredded cheese; mix well.

4. Add remaining ingredients; stir until evenly combined. Note: before adding the potatoes, squeeze them firmly to remove extra liquid.

5. IMPORTANT STEP: Allow the mixture to rest for AT LEAST 15 minutes to allow the oats to soften as they absorb the liquids. This is so very important... I can't stress it enough. The second time I attempted this recipe, I didn't allow the oats to soften and the bites were so hard it actually hurt to eat them. Needless to say, I threw them out. :)

6. Spoon mixture into greased mini muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes.

YIELD: 32 mini bites.

Some of the cheese sinks to the bottom of each bite, forming a crunchy browned crust. I thought these bites were a delicious addition to our brunch, and I've been breaking up the few leftovers and adding them to my salad every day since. YUM!

Gather ingredients.

Chop and dice vegetables. Grate cheese and potato until completely shredded.

Place shredded potato in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt. This will pull some of the extra moisture out of the potato and keep the bites from getting soggy. This is VERY IMPORTANT!!

Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Add cheese; mix well.

Add remaining ingredients; stir until evenly combined.
Note: before adding the potatoes, squeeze them firmly to remove extra liquid.
Allow mixture to sit for at least 15 minutes.