Pizza-Flavored Breakfast Muffins with Pepperoni

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese, rinsed and drained well
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup almond meal or almond flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 T water
• 1/2 cup diced pepperoni, either turkey or pork pepperoni will work
• 4 string cheese mozzarella sticks, cut into slices and some slices cut into smaller pieces

Directions

1. Place the cottage cheese in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse it under cold water, and leave it to drain while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
2. Heat the oven or toaster oven to 400C/200F.
3. Coat silicone muffin cups or a muffin pan with nonstick spray or olive oil.
4. As the cottage cheese drains, cut up the pepperoni. Slice each round into 6 wedge-shaped pieces, or chop it finer if you like smaller bits.
5. Cut the string cheese mozzarella sticks into slices, then chop some of those slices into smaller pieces so you have a mix of cheese sizes. Grated mozzarella, 3/4 cup, would work too, though the chunks give you nice little pockets of cheese.
6. Once the cottage cheese is well drained, stir it together with the Parmesan, flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, dried oregano, and Spike Seasoning.
7. Use a fork to beat the eggs, then mix in 3 tablespoons water.
8. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until everything comes together.
9. Fold in the chopped pepperoni and sliced string cheese gently. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking cups or muffin tin, portioning it evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the muffins look set and are lightly browned. Eat them warm. You can also cool them and refrigerate for several days in a plastic container with a snap-tight lid. To reheat, microwave just until barely warm, about 1 minute, depending on your microwave.