Filled Cheese Muffins

These savoury muffins hide a deviled ham filling inside a Bisquick batter studded with sauteed carrot, celery, onion, and sharp cheddar cheese. They eat like a complete breakfast in one handheld package, sturdy enough for a lunchbox or a brunch spread.

The sauteed vegetables are the difference between these and a standard cheesy muffin. Cooking the carrot, celery, and onion in butter softens them and concentrates their flavour before they go into the batter. Raw vegetables tossed straight in would give crunchy uncooked pockets and a raw onion bite that doesn’t bake out in 20 minutes.

Use a sharp aged cheddar for the cheese here. Mild cheddar disappears into the batter and contributes almost nothing; sharp or extra-sharp holds its own against the deviled ham and the vegetables.

Pro Tips

• Cool the sauteed vegetables before mixing them into the batter. Hot vegetables can curdle the egg or melt the cheese into a greasy mess.
• Grate the cheese fresh rather than using pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that interferes with proper melting.
• Use the back of a small spoon to make a well in each muffin, drop in the deviled ham filling, then top with a bit more batter to seal. Surface-only filling will dry out and sink.
• Don’t overmix the batter once the dry meets the wet. Bisquick batters toughen fast if overstirred.

Variations

• Substitute crumbled cooked bacon or chopped ham for the deviled ham.
• Add a tablespoon of fresh chives or scallions for green flecks and oniony brightness.
• Use pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar and add a pinch of cayenne for a spicier muffin.