Healthier CopyCat McDonald's Egg McMuffin

100% whole wheat English muffins
Whole eggs (you can use Egg Beaters or all egg whites, if you prefer)
Sliced cheese (I used regular cheddar cheese that comes in ultra-thin slices, only 45 calories per slice; you can also use reduced-fat cheese, but it doesn't melt as well. McDonalds uses American cheese, if you're looking for a more authentic taste)
Canadian bacon slices AND/OR Cooked turkey sausage patties (you can purchase reduced fat or turkey sausage, but it's surprisingly easy to make your own)

Spray 7oz ramekins, jumbo muffin tins, or Whoopie pan with cooking spray and add an egg to each one and pop the yolk. (Or, add the equivalent amount of Egg Beaters or egg whites.) If using ramekins, put them on a baking sheet to make it easier to get them in and out of the oven.

Add freshly ground black pepper to your liking. I like a lot of pepper, can you tell??? I don't think additional salt is necessary, since the cheese and meats are already salted. This helps lower the sodium amount in these healthier McMuffins.

Bake eggs at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until set. Although I normally like my egg yolks a little runny, I cooked these completely since I'd be freezing them. That's the way McDonald's makes them, too.

The baked eggs are easy to lift out with a small spatula. If they're stuck around the edges, loosen them gently with a thin knife.

While the eggs bake, prepare the muffins by splitting them open and adding cheese slices (I folded in the corners of my square slices) and Canadian bacon slices. (If you like your muffins toasted, you can toast them before assembly.)

Add the baked eggs when they're ready.


Wrap for microwave reheating. I wrap my individual McMuffins in dry wax paper deli sheets. That way, I can put the wrapped sandwiches directly in the microwave for reheating. (You can also use pieces of wax or parchment paper.) After they're all wrapped, put them in freezer ziploc bags and freeze them. It takes under a minute to reheat a thawed McMuffin at full power in the microwave. A frozen one takes about 3 minutes at half power (turn it over after each minute).

Wrap for oven reheating. Wrap them in aluminum foil if you prefer to reheat them in the oven. This is a good option if you want to reheat several at one time. It takes approx. 30-40 minutes to reheat frozen McMuffins in a 350 degree oven. If they're thawed, it only takes about 15-20 minutes. The outside of the muffin gets crispy when these are warmed in the oven.

Feeding a crowd? Make up a bunch of these in advance, wrap them individually in foil, and reheat them all at once in the oven. They're easier to manage if you arrange them on large baking sheets for putting in and out of the oven. You'll need to increase the baking time a bit if you're reheating larger quantities.

http://www.theyummylife.com/Egg_McMuffin