Top of the Muffin to You!

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like a muffin—its almost-cake-like texture makes it feel like a guilty pleasure. (I’m looking at you red velvet muffins with cream cheese icing!) Cranberries and blueberries make delicious muffins too. Bananas, chocolate chip, apple, plain honey are all wonderful with a big steaming cuppa something warm. Even plain cornbread muffins, slightly toasted with a pat of butter, are pure perfection! (Although in terms of perfection, there’s a maple bacon corn muffin that I still have to try.)

Remember the Seinfeld episode referencing the top of the muffin as an excellent pastry delicacy…

Traditionally, American muffins have been on the sweet side – somewhere between dessert and a snack or a breakfast food.

The past few years have seen a proliferation of kitchen anarchists who have taken their muffin pans and turned it into something else altogether. Savory muffins are great breakfast food for folks on the go, but they also represent sturdy and tasty picnic items as well as buffet/buffet finger foods. They travel well, mostly, so they are perfect for brown bagging and kid’s lunch boxes.

Breakfast-for-dinner turns into a different kind of culinary adventure when you have a savory muffin (with a salad and a good bottle of wine)!

For recipe, visit the Pinterest board or go here.

The muffin pan affords the cook a freedom beyond the cake-like base. You can use other grains to form your muffin—from brown rice to quinoa. You can even line the pan in bacon and let that become the foundation for the morsel of yum. Shredded veggies or mashed beans may substitute for crust for the vegans.

Vegetables can be used in a dizzying array of ways, as well as spices and herbs. And if you do not eat meats or seafood, legumes and mushrooms fit well into the compact food.

Mac and cheese as a muffin!

Muffins tins have uses beyond muffins (like filled tiny pies, stuffed wontons), and we’ll explore that later, but for now I’ve curated a few dozen recipes (some repeats with interesting substitutions) that you may want to consider adding to your repertoire – whether for large get-togethers or your own romantic dining pleasure.

Visit the Pinterest board for recipes ranging from 

cheddar and bacon to chili eggplant to pea and chorizo muffins.

Savory muffins will make for an interesting change of pace and an elegant or fun dish. You can keep it healthy or make it richer with the right toppings (anything from a dollop of sour cream to whipped feta).