These Baked Egg & Parsnip Nests are portion-controlled mini hashes that make a quick, healthy, and adorable breakfast, lunch, or dinner you can prep ahead of time to make your life a little easier.
Before everything else, let’s just take a minute to celebrate my parents’ 30-year dating anniversary. How it is possible for two people to meet in the ridiculously blah time that is middle school and still be together, happy, and relatively sane 30 years later is beyond me. But I’m endlessly glad it worked for you. Thanks for being the best parents and relationship role models ever. Happy anniversary!
I know I’ve told you before that I’m a list maker. To-do lists are my specialty, but I also have blog-post-idea lists, recipe-idea lists, company-to-research-for-internship lists, grocery lists, book-to-read lists, wish lists, and my favorite lists of all: lifesaver lists.
Okay, so I just made the name up. BUT the concept is something I’ve had for a long time. What’s on a lifesaver list? Things that are going to make your bad day better or your busy days a little calmer. I fully intend to write a real post on these because I think they’re important and they’ll be a little different for everyone.
However, today is a Monday and in case you need a lifesaver list this week, I wanted to tell you about mine.
I rewrite these every week because remembering the good stuff in life is fun, but they usually look similar. First, there’s a reminder to phone a friend. Whether it’s calling my parents or writing a rant to a friend group chat. Sometimes ya need some moral support.
After that, the list goes something like this:
- Chocolate
- Diet Coke
- Granola-dipped spoons of nut butter (just being honest)
- Tea
- Go for a walk
- Listen to a podcast
- Dance party
- Watch a show (if I have wi-fi at the moment)
- Foam roll
- Eggs
- Leftovers
Now, the eggs and leftovers at the end might seem a little random, but I really do write them down every week. Why? Well, the same way the other things are general “rescues” for when I’m freaking out about life, those are rescues for when I’m freaking out about life and therefore fully okay with eating nothing but granola all night because my motivation to cook is zero. So, when I reference the list for a quick fix, I remember that I also have a quick meal.
See, I always, always, always, have eggs on hand. Eggs take approximately 5 minutes to cook and are delicious and satisfying. I can pretty much always crack a couple eggs into a pan and eat them with an apple and a sweet potato and ta-da, that’s a meal.
Because I regularly test recipes for the blog and also make an effort to meal prep, if I really can’t bring myself to dirty new dishes (you know the feeling), I usually have leftovers around from when I was a little more ambitious. Past me hated leftovers and would rather eat a bowl of cereal. Present me thinks past me was a little nuttzo. I still do adore cereal, but leftovers have been whitelisted now, too. I eat them for at least one meal pretty much every day and they stop me from being hangry, which is good for everyone.
These Baked Egg & Parsnip Nests make leftovers, AKA lifesavers. #fitfluential #bgbcommunity Share on XAnyway. These Baked Egg & Parsnip Nests have eggs and they make leftovers. And they are super easy. Well, they are super easy if you don’t make the mistake I did, which was trying to spiralize too-thin parsnips. Chopping works perfectly fine. But if you’re a spiralizing expert, spiralize away.
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 2 t. minced garlic
- 3 c. chopped parsnips (about 4 medium-large)
- 1 c. chopped carrots (about 2 medium)
- 1/2 t. dried basil
- 1/2 t. dried oregano
- 1/4 t. salt
- Black pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 t., but I really like pepper)
- 15-17 eggs*
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease two muffin tins liberally.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped parsnips and carrots to the onions and garlic. Sauté until parsnips are tender, about 7 minutes.
- Remove veggies from heat and season with 1/2 t. basil, 1/2 t. oregano, 1/4 t. salt, and as much fresh black pepper as you like. If you're adding the extra eggs (see notes), add these when the veggies have cooled down some. Otherwise, they'll cook before you put everything in the oven.
- Once vegetables are seasoned, use 1/4 c. measure to divide them into muffin tins. You don't want much more than this, or they'll overflow once you add the eggs.
- Carefully crack an egg over each full muffin tin. If it makes you feel better, crack each into a bowl first and slide them into the muffin cups one by one. I like to live dangerously, so I just went for it.
- Put the nests into the oven until eggs are cooked to your liking. I did about 10 minutes, but your oven might be different than mine.
- Serve immediately, store in the fridge in an airtight container, or even let cool before freezing in an airtight container.**
- *I know this is a lot of eggs. 15 should cover you if you just want to crack an egg on top and leave each alone. This is the way that's pictured. When you cut into the cups, it's basically an egg over a portion of hash loosely held together by the whites.
- If you want your cups to have more structure or be more portable, however, I recommend beating two eggs and mixing them into your veggie mixture before you separate it into the muffin tin. Then, cook the cups a bit longer so your egg isn't runny. Totally a matter of personal preference, but I love runny eggs!
- Alternatively, if you don't want to use whole eggs (they're so good, though!), you can use about 1/4 c. egg whites per tin. I did this with a few because I only had a dozen eggs. Still very tasty!
- **If you freeze these and reheat them, your yolk won't stay runny, but it should still be nice and creamy.
Click to view nutrition facts for Baked Egg & Parsnip Nests
Pin for later:
It’s week 3 of the Autumn Produce Challenge with Kayla and Priya. Celebrate with us by linking up your best parsnip recipes below! And don’t forget to join us next week for pears!
Your turn:
How do you feel about leftovers?
What’s on your lifesaver list?
Have you ever had parsnips? I tried them for the first time this summer (as fries… because fries) and loved them. Also, I previously associated them with Harry Potter. Upon Googling this, I can find literally two references to parsnips in the seven books. What can I say? I’m a superfan. And a supernerd.
OK. This whole parsnip nest thing is brilliant. Even though I’m Jewish we typically make eggs in a HAM basket.
My parents are visiting. They do not do the ham. You are a parsnip lifesaver!!!!
Oooh I’m a fan of your version, too. Ham is yummy!
Hope your parents enjoy! ?
Not going to lie, I need a lifesaver right now. Today and tomorrow and likely Wednesday oh and Thursday are going to be out of control.
Again.
Sending you all the lifesaver thoughts and hugs. You got thissssss ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Leftovers are my life! Seriously, though, whenever I cook I always make 2-3 meals worth of food and it makes my life so much better at school. I need to try these–they look so easy and tasty! The only way I’ve had parsnips is gross roasted greasy ones from the dining hall and I think I’d like them so much more if I made them myself.
Same with leftovers. If I’m cooking, I might as well make extra!
I’m almost feeling like I need to break my blog break to join in on at least one of these recipe challenges; I don’t think that would be too hard. Pears sound really yummy, and I LOVE parsnips. These would be a really hearty little snack. Or they could make a good breakfast.
I’ve been eating a few at a time for meals, but they are the perfect size to grab on your way out the door if you realize you’re hungry (me, all the time).
leftovers are LIFE. these would be an awesome snack, to just pop a few whenever you need a quick bite 🙂
Perfect snack and easy part of a meal. So versatile!
Congrats to your parents!! What a wonderful example of love for you to have 🙂 I absolutely love parsnips [and drippy eggs!!] so I bet these little nests would be incredible!!
Thanks, Kat!
Congrats and all the best to your parents! I love the sound of these, though I’d probably just make the hash and omit the eggs because I am allergic. ? I know, life is hard. ? But still, it’d be delicious!
Thanks, Hannah! They might not hold together as well sans eggs, but you could totally just sauté it all together and serve it like a traditional hash!
What sweet role models your parents are! <3
And um.. confession? I HATE leftovers and I always have. I actually make dinner so that we DON'T have leftovers 😛 The only exception to that is something that I make in advance (like an egg bake or frittatas etc) but yeah… weirdo right here 😛
I’m lucky ☺️
I just tried parsnips a few weeks ago as fries and I loved them! They taste so similar to a potato. Pinned this recipe for later 😉 And I love the idea of a lifesaver list, mine would be pretty similar lots of food items and watching TV shows, maybe going for a run too.
They’re awesome as fries! And when I’m not injured, I’m right there with ya on a good run 🙂
I haven’t had parsnips in so long but they sound amazing with eggs! Eggs are my life-saver too when it comes to last-minute meals. Usually I make a crappy omelette but these cups look like the perfect grab-n-go, easy-clean-up meal! Also, granola dipped spoons of nut butter never hurt 🙂
They’re sooo good with eggs. Highly recommend 😀 LOL omelettes are good options, too!
TOTES scheduled this to pin!! Parsnips (and beets) are my favorite root veggie. LOVED this idea. Such a healthy breakfast and they look AMAZING!
Ahh thanks so much Chrissa! I hope you love them!