I had precisely one half cup of cheddar cheese in a bag that was just begging to be used.
I thought about just sprinkling it on a salad, but that wouldn’t have been as fun as muffins.
You’re thinking, oh but that sounds like a lot of work, baking and muffin-making rather than salad sprinkling.
Wrong.
Dump everything in one bowl, stir a few times, pour into liners, and bake.
The recipe only makes six muffins and because I don’t need any more than half of a dozen little white bread nuggets made with with cheese and olive oil just laying around, I am always grateful for small-batch recipes.
And grateful for cheesy and easy.
These would be wonderful served alongside chili (vegan) or as a dipping vehicle for salsa.
I can imagine sour cream or cream cheese would be wonderful on them, but I wasn’t going to open a fresh 8-ounce container just for these.
I save unopened 8-ounce tubs of cream cheese for these. Priorities people.
This recipe could support the addition of a few vegetables or even extra protein if you’re so inclined. Corn, bell peppers, spinach, artichokes, beans, precooked shredded chicken, canned salmon or tuna stirred in.
But I wasn’t inclined so these are just dough and cheese. They’re cheesy in flavor but don’t have a pizza cheese quality, with cheese just oozing and stinging everywhere. You could add more cheese and make them more like that but I was fresh out of cheese after my little half cup.
The olive oil subtly flavored the dough and kept them moist.
For savory muffins, these weren’t too shabby and were inhaled by the family. But if I’m being honest, I prefer sweet mango muffins and sweet will always trump savory for me.
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Cheddar Cheese and Olive Oil Savory Muffins (Small-batch recipe)
Makes 6 muffins
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons cream or milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, loosely packed (I used extra sharp)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon optional seasoning(s), to taste (garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle seasoning, Lowry’s, Old Bay, Mrs. Dash blend, 21 Salute)
1/3 cup vegetables or pre-cooked protein, optional (corn, bell peppers, spinach, artichokes, beans, shredded chicken, salmon, tuna)
Preheat oven to 425F, line a muffin pan with 6 liners; set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the olive oil, cream, egg, and whisk vigorously to combine. Add the cheese and stir gently. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, optional seasonings, vegetables, or protein, and stir until just incorporated, taking care not to overmix which would result in tougher muffins. The batter will be thick, gloppy, and lumpy; this is okay. Divide batter evenly among the liners, filling each cavity to about three-quarters full.
Bake at 425F for 5 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375F and bake for 12 to 15 more minutes, or until tops are just golden and barely browned (total baking time, about 17 to 20 minutes) Tip: baking at high heat for 5 minutes helps muffins rise better. These muffins can be prone to drying out so take care not to overbake; they will set up more as they cool.
Allow muffins to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing. Serve immediately. Optionally serve with butter, sour cream, cream cheese, salsa, guacamole, peanut butter, almond butter, or other dip or spread if desired. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To keep these gluten-free, use your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
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Related savory and cheesy recipes:
Baked Savory Cream Cheese & Herb Donuts (vegetarian)
Chips and Cheese Chili Casserole (vegetarian/vegan, GF)
Cheesy Taco Casserole (vegetarian, GF)
Cheezy Vegetable Bake (vegetarian/vegan, GF)
Roasted Grapes and Balsamic Reduction with Cheese and Crackers (vegetarian)
Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastries (vegetarian)
Have you ever made savory muffins?
The closest I’ve come were these savory donuts. The savory donuts could be made as muffins, and today’s muffins could be made as donuts, if you’re wanting to switch things up.
Have you ever baked with olive oil?
I know some people make sweet cakes and sweet breads with it, but I haven’t. There is a noticeable flavor that olive oil imparts and it’s great in all things savory from muffins to stir fries, but I’ve held off in trying it with sweeter recipes.
If you’ve tried a sweeter recipe made with olive oil, let me know about it or feel free to link it up.
Thanks for the Magimix by Robot-Coupe Food Processor & Juice Extractor Giveaway entries
As much as I love sweet treats, I LOVE savory muffins. So perfect with a light salad or soup for an easy meal. And 6 is the perfect amount- anymore and I’d eat them all too! :)
and after 6 of anything, I’m over it…onto the next!
Now THIS is a muffin I can wrap my head and mouth around.
You’re right, this is a Bev-like muffin. I am pining away for your zuke chips!
I love small batch recipes as well. Sometimes you just don’t want 24 muffins lying around. You feel guilty if you don’t eat them, so you pawn them off on the family as well as yourself, but you really don’t want to force yourself and your family to eat all those muffins. I also use what I have at home and don’t go buy an ingredient that will only be used once of for a garnish. What a waste!
These muffins would be great alongside some chili as a nice break from your standard corn muffins.
Have a great day Averie!
Same exact sentiments. Don’t need more than 1 dozen of anything; and if I don’t want it, I sort of feel bad for pawning it off on the family and they’re super good sports about it (And with cheese muffins or choc chip cookies, they arent exactly complaining) – but I never make recipes that make more than 2 dozen of anything. I either don’t make it, halve it, pare it down, or reduce it in some way. Variety. Gotta happen!
I love making these.
next time add a little of bacon jam–you’ll love it!
The last time I ate bacon I was 6 yrs old. Not even kidding! But I bet my hubs would love that!
Mmmmm…these look delicious! Definitely a much better use for cheddar than a salad. ;)
Exactly :)
Awesome flavors. And I too love that this only makes 6, I don’t like having so many leftovers of these kinds of things!
Which is why I always halve the C. Tosi recipes….her stuff makes an army-load. Don’t exactly need quite that much food/buttery desserts just lingering with everything else I already have :)
I’m much more of a sweet muffin baker. In fact I don’t think I have ever baked anything savory. I love baking with olive oil though. Olive oil muffins and cakes are among my favorite treats
If you have sweet cakes/muffins that you’ve made with olive oil and have links, LMK. Would love to peek at them!
None posted yet, but I will be working on a few coming up and will be sure to let you know :)
Hi Averie! Just wanted to let you know I posted Grape and Olive Oil Muffins yesterday. They are my favorite olive oil baked good and one of my favorite breakfasts of all time. I hope you’ll take a look: https://piesandplots.net/grape-and-olive-oil-muffins/
As always – those look amazing. The colors just jump off the screen!
thanks, my friend!
Oh, yumster! How lovely, Averie! Can I throw a few diced jalepenos in there to fulfill my cheese/spice quota?? haha
Also, your Cheezy Vegetable Bake looks AMAZING. Happy Tuesday!
Oh man, these would be perfect with the chili I’m making later this week!
Yes…these are Perfect for chili season! I’m a few months off, but soon enough :)
I totally appreciate small batches! I almost always halve cookie recipes and a dozen muffins? They’ll be bad before they’re gone in my house! They sound delicious. A perfect side to chili
Same here… I frequently halve and once in a while quarter them because cooking for one doesn’t require as much and my freezer can’t hold enough! And good idea, I think these would be amazzzzzzzing with chili.
You and me both with halving things…you just HAVE to if you want variety or want to button your jeans :)
Oooo I an going to try veganizing this! Thanks!
Egg replacer/flax egg, you’re there. And Daiya or similar. LMK if you try it!
Yum, they look divine! I’m always torn between whether I’m partial to being a sweet or salty person. I think maybe I’m both!
I used to make cornbread muffins when I was younger. With a bad recipe, they’re quite dry, but with a great recipe, they’re melt-in-your-mouth, moist deliciousness!
Cornbread can be so tricky…it tends to be painfully dry which is why the olive oil in these kept them moist and unlike (bad) cornbread!
I have made a savory muffin!
Funny you mentioned your muffins not having a pizza-like way about them because I made “pizza muffins”! But they only had 1/2 cup cheese for 6 jumbo muffins so there was not cheese oozing:) recipe here: https://scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/is-there-anything-cuter-than-a-muffin-un-pizza-week-day-4/
I am curious to try yours. A cheddar muffin sounds dang tasty.
Those look great! I should try making pizza muffins or savory-like things when fall is here. Not in the middle of July. Lol
oh avery – I just LOVE the colors! the muffins look great, Im sure they must have tasted amazing too – how can any recipe calling for cheddar cheese ever go wrong?? (this shows that I am not quite the cook, but I just really love cheddar, what can I say?)
Glad they look good to you and thanks for the picture compliments…I always think turquoise complements yellows. Well that, and I just love turquoises and teals :)