Poaching eggs and getting your family to eat (or enjoy) a nutrient-dense breakfast has never been easier!

This southwest spin on classic Eggs Benedict is topped with refried beans, a perfectly poached egg and creamy avocado hollandaise to create one seriously delicious breakfast.

Don’t be intimidated by the name, this recipe doesn’t require swirling water in a pan with vinegar to poach your eggs. We’re poaching our eggs with just a muffin pan and water. We’re also making the hollandaise in a blender; no double broiler required. The recipe is a simple, yet super nutritious start to your and your family’s day. Rise and shine!

Picky eater approved

Is your family not too keen on anything healthy? We love hidden veggie recipes that pack a lot of nutrition. This meal boasts incognito refried beans (they’re barely noticeable on top of the whole grain English muffin) and a creamy avocado-inspired hollandaise. Your family won’t know what hit them when they take that first bite of this Easy Southwest Eggs Benedict. Even the pickiest of eaters will be asking for seconds.

Make ahead

Although it may seem like a lot of components, this dish comes together extremely quickly. If weekday mornings are typically chaotic, you could make the refried beans and hollandaise the night before (or on meal prep day) and then simply poach the eggs the following morning. If you’ve never poached eggs before, it’s not as difficult as you may think, especially since these eggs are poached in a muffin tin.

Creamy avocado hollandaise

We’ve found that classic hollandaise is often too rich and buttery, so for this recipe we created a much lighter sauce that is packed with healthy fats and a refreshing kick of lime. The hollandaise can be made with an immersion blender or a high-speed blender and is much simpler and faster to make then traditional hollandaise, which requires time and technique.

Homemade refried beans

We recommend making Homemade Refried Beans (it only takes a few minutes), but you could also use canned if you prefer. Just be sure to check the ingredients. Many canned versions are made with some not so FfL-friendly, real food ingredients (canola oil, additives, preservatives… ick!).

Poaching your eggs

There are a few variables that play a role in your perfectly poached eggs.

Egg size: The larger the egg, the longer it will take to poach. We use large eggs. A smaller egg may take 45-60 seconds less to cook.

Initial egg temperature: A chilled egg that’s right out of the fridge will take a tad longer to cook than an egg that’s come to room temperature. Typically speaking (and for this recipe), we use eggs straight out of the fridge.

Heat retention of the muffin tin you use: Thicker muffins tins, made with denser materials, tend to take a tad longer to heat and retain heat longer than thinner muffin tins.

Heat output of your oven: Every oven is slightly different and may take a tad longer or shorter to poach your eggs. Start at 11 minutes and test to see if your egg whites have set.

• 11 minutes: Generally speaking, your yolk is very runny and the egg whites have just started to set.
• 12 minutes: The yolk is thick and runny and the white is mostly set.
• 13 minutes: The yolk is set but tender and the white is set.

When poaching your eggs, the water will rise around each egg, making it appear as though it’s not set. The best way to assess if they’re poached to your desired consistency is to gently spoon them out of the muffin tin. If they’re not set, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Pro tip: Make a note for next time. Write down the exact time it took (for your oven), as well as the size of egg used and general temperature of the egg (straight from the fridge or room temperature).

How long they remain in the muffin tin: Remove your eggs from the muffin tin as soon as you take them out of the oven. Otherwise, your eggs will continue cooking even after you’ve taken them out of the oven.

Making this recipe for a crowd

This recipe comes together quickly and easily, making it the PERFECT simple, yet bougie breakfast for a crowd.

Some great ways to reinvent your leftovers

Refried beans

• As a side to scrambled eggs
• In a cheesy quesadilla or breakfast burrito
• In bean or cheese enchiladas
• On a Mexican pizza (pre-made pizza dough topped with a mixture of refried beans, taco sauce, diced tomatoes, grilled veggies (leftovers perhaps), cooked ground chicken or pork and then sprinkled with Colby or Monterey Jack cheeses)
• Layered in a taco dip (beans, Greek yogurt, salsa, shredded lettuce and cheese) or served with homemade tortilla chips
• With Rice Cake Nachos

Avocado Hollandaise

• On top of quesadillas, tacos or breakfast burritos
• Layered in a taco dip (beans, Greek yogurt, salsa, shredded lettuce or cheese) or served with homemade tortilla chips

If you make this recipe let us know in the comment section below−we love to hear what you think−or take a photo or tag us (@fullforlifegal) on Instagram, We love seeing your delicious photos!