Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins (Gluten-free)

A little something scrumptious to add to your breakfast, brunch, snack, salad, or bowl of soup. These Gluten-free Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins loaded with chunks of diced ham, sharp cheddar cheese, sweet corn kernels, fresh herbs, and shredded zucchini will make for a tasty addition to your table. Serve ’em warm with a drizzle of honey or a smattering of butter.

This recipe was created in partnership with our friends and farmers at the MN Pork Board.

A savory muffin packed with all the goodness and a recipe to fulfill your baking desires.

With the current pandemic impacting the entire world at the moment, more and more people are not only cooking at home but also baking more than ever! Baking is therapeutic, it’s fun, it’s delicious, and kids (and adults) love it. In fact, based on social media postings it seems as though everyone is baking up their favorite banana bread recipe or learning how to make sourdough. Mmmmm. What better time than now to brush up on baking and cooking skills and try new recipes?

So with all this baking going on in people’s homes, we wanted to share a recipe that we know everyone will love (that has something a little different too). These Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins are incredibly tasty. They’re buttery, cheesy, and loaded with tender chunks of diced ham, corn, fresh herbs, and zucchini. We like to serve them as part of a weekend breakfast or brunch, with a fresh salad for lunch, and as a fun snack for kids. Plus, they’re perfect for dunking into a bowl of soup or stew. And don’t forget the little drizzle of honey or smattering of butter to really take these muffins to the next level.

Before we get to the recipe, we want to say a big thanks to Minnesota Pork for sponsoring today’s blog post and thanks to the Minnesota pig farmers (and all farmers) who are working hard to provide healthy food to our families even when times in the world are tough!

Ingredients for Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins

• All-purpose flour – for gluten-free use an all-purpose gluten-free flour. We like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1 to 1 flour or King Arthur Flour Measure to Measure, also Gluten-free.
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Milk of choice – we use Organic Valley milk or unsweetened almond milk.
• Melted butter – mmmm butter! You could also use coconut oil but we recommend melted butter or ghee.
• Large egg – this recipe has not been tested egg-free, but because it only calls for one egg there’s a good chance an egg substitute will work such as a flax egg. Simply mix 1 Tbsp. of ground flaxseed (flax meal) with 3 Tbsp. of water. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Honey – maple syrup is a great substitution.
• Diced ham – small diced ham works best.
• Sharp cheddar cheese – any shredded cheese will work but our top pick is sharp cheddar for its richness.
• Yellow corn  – don’t skip this ingredient. Corn adds such a tasty twist to these muffins. You can use frozen (no need to thaw it), fresh off the cob, or canned.
• Fresh herbs – we like the mix of parsley and fresh chives but use what you have on hand or what’s growing in your garden. No fresh herbs on hand, a few shakes (1-2 tsp.) of dried herbs will work, too!
• Green onion – we love the flavor that the green onion adds to these muffins.
• Shredded zucchini – a sneaky way to add in veggies. We recommend removing as much liquid as possible by placing the zucchini shreds on a double layer of paper towel and pressing out the liquid. It doesn’t all need to be absorbed, but just enough to remove some of the liquid before adding to the dough.

How to Make Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins

For this recipe you’ll need measuring cups and spoons, two bowls (one small and one medium), a 12 cup muffin pan, a cutting board and knife, a grater if adding shredded zucchini and a spoon for mixing.

• To make this recipe you’ll start by preheating the oven to 350℉ and lining a muffin pan with paper liners or spray liberally with cooking spray.  
• Next combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl and stir together the wet ingredients (milk, butter, eggs, and honey) in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients as well as the diced ham, shredded cheese, frozen (or fresh or canned) corn, fresh herbs, sliced green onion, and optional shredded zucchini* and gently fold to combine. *If adding zucchini, we recommend removing as much liquid as possible by placing the zucchini shreds on a double layer of paper towel and pressing out the liquid. It doesn’t all need to be absorbed, just enough to remove some of the liquid before adding to the dough.
• Scoop the dough into a 12 cup muffin pan filling each well at least ¾ full.
• We like to top each muffin with a little shredded cheese, a few pieces of diced ham, a few kernels of corn, and a sprinkle of fresh chives or green onion.
• Lastly, bake in the preheated oven for 20-24 minutes or until the center is set and cheese is golden brown on top. Allow cooling for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.

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How to store Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins

Store muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To reheat, we like to pop them in the microwave for 20 seconds and enjoy them nice and warm. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to serve Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins

These Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins make for a tasty addition to breakfast or brunch. Serve them with scrambled eggs and fresh fruit for a delightful breakfast or brunch. They’re also great served with a fresh salad in the warmer months or a bowl of soup or stew in the cooler months, and they make for a fun snack for kids (and adults). Serve them warm with a drizzle of honey or smattering of butter. Yum!

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Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews

Savory Ham and Cheese Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Prep: 20 minCook: 20 minTotal: 40 minutes

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Servings: 12 muffins 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (for gluten-free, use gluten-free all-purpose flour)*
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk of choice
• 6 Tbsp. melted butter 
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. honey
• ¾ cup diced ham, small dices work best
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar shredded cheese, heaping + more for topping
• ¾ cup yellow corn (may use frozen, fresh of the cob or canned) 
• ¼ cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped (mix of parsley and fresh chives; may use 1-2 tsp. of dried herbs)
• 2 green onion, ends removed and thinly sliced – white and light green parts
• ⅓ cup shredded zucchini (optional)**

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a muffin pan with paper or grease liberally with cooking spray. 
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix and set aside. 
3. In a small bowl, add the milk, butter, egg, and honey and whisk to combine. 
4. To the bowl with flour add the wet ingredients as well as the ham, cheese, corn, herbs, green onion, and optional zucchini*. Gently fold to combine. 
5. Scoop the dough into a 12 cup muffin pan filling each well at least ¾ full.
6. If you wish, top each muffin with a little shredded cheese, a few pieces of diced ham, a few kernels of corn and sprinkle of fresh chives or green onion. Press slightly into dough.
7. Bake in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until the center is set and cheese is golden brown on top.
8. Allow cooling for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy warm. 

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Notes

*For gluten-free flours, we like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1 to 1 flour or King Arthur Flour Measure to Measure

**If adding zucchini, we recommend removing as much liquid as possible by placing the zucchini shreds on a double layer of paper towel and pressing out the liquid. It doesn’t all need to be absorbed but just enough to remove some of the liquid before adding to the dough.

Store muffins in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. To reheat, pop in the microwave for 20 seconds.

May also store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1 muffin
• Calories: 200
• Fat: 9 g
• (Sat Fat: 5 g)
• Sodium: 450 mg
• Carbohydrate: 22 g
• (Fiber: 1 g
• Sugar: 3 g)
• Protein: 9 g

Dietary

Gluten-freeNut-free

© The Real Food Dietitians

Recipe By: Stacie Hassing

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

This post was made possible by our friends at the MN Pork Board. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.

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