Wellness Wednesday–Sweet Potato Egg Nests

Here’s a recipe submission from one of our athletes!

Sweet Potato Egg Nests: They’ve got vitamin-rich sweet potatoes, eggs, and metabolism-boosting chili powder.

Yield: 12

1 lb. sweet potatoes, scrubbed with ends trimmed
3 Tbsp. neutral oil, like grapeseed
3/4 tsp. chili powder, optional
Salt and pepper
12 large eggs
Chopped parsley, for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using the large grates on a cheese box grater, shred sweet potatoes (you’ll have about 4 2/3 cups). Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Mist a 12-cup muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray. Place about 1/3 cup potatoes in each muffin cup. Press potatoes firmly into bottom and sides of each cup. Bake for 5 minutes.
Crack an egg carefully into each cup. Bake until eggs reach desired firmness, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan before carefully removing. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving, if desired.
Note: Be sure to use large eggs, not extra large, because extra large will overflow the muffin cups.

Coach’s note:  I would pass on the grapeseed oil, as it contains a high amount of Omega 6 fats.  I would think it would be more than safe to sub for olive oil, as the temp only gets to 350 degrees, but if you’re concerned about the smoke point of olive oil, go with coconut oil.  Also, the macronutrient breakdown of this meal is about 9g of Carbs, 6g of Protein, and about 2-3g of Fat.  For someone who needs 30g of protein for breakfast, that means I’d have to eat 5 of them, which would put me at 45g of carbs.  If your carb tolerance or blood sugar management isn’t great, eating enough of these to have adequate protein in your breakfast might bring you over the edge with carbs–as with any meal, take all of these facts into account and adjust accordingly…Enjoy!