If you're looking for quick and simple kids packed lunch ideas, look no further than these delicious garlicky cheese and pepper muffins.

They're easy to prepare, quick to bake and can be stored in the fridge and popped in packed lunches every day.
Of course, parents don't tend to have very much time to spend cooking, so I always try to sneak little shortcuts into our lunch recipes.
For this recipe, I recommend using an ice cream scoop to get perfectly evenly sized muffins in a fraction of the time it would take to spoon the batter in. Nifty!
The pine nuts add a great texture, but you can leave out the pine nuts if your child/school is nut-free.
Here's how to make these red pepper and cheese muffins.
Ingredients
- spray oil
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 150 ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk
- 1 tbsp garlic pureé
- 100 g (7 tbsp) slightly salted butter cold and grated
- 225 g (2 cups) grated/shredded mature cheese vegetarian if required
- 50 g (⅓ cup) pine nuts leave out if taking into a nut-free school
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3 red peppers de-seeded and chopped into small pieces
- 350 g (2⅓ cups) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F (180C/355F fan).
Lightly grease some silicone muffin trays with spray oil and stand them on oven-safe trays.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl.

Add the milk, butter, garlic pureé and beat again.


Next, add 150g (5.3 oz) of the cheese.

Add the pine nuts and oregano and mix.


Add the peppers and stir into the mix.


Fold in the flour - the mixture will become stodgy, don't worry!


Generously spray a 12-hole nonstick muffin tray with oil.

Use an ice cream scoop to drop one heaped serving into each hole of your muffin trays.

Put a pinch of the remaining cheese on top of each muffin - depending on how many trays you have, you may need to cook in batches.

Bake for 22-25 minutes until just beginning to brown on top.

Cool for a few minutes in the tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!

Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container in the fridge
Delicious! What do you think?
Print this cheese and pepper muffins recipe
Cheese and Pepper Muffins
Ingredients
- spray oil
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 150 ml (½ cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk
- 1 tbsp garlic pureé
- 100 g (7 tbsp) slightly salted butter cold and grated
- 225 g (2 cups) grated/shredded mature cheese vegetarian if required
- 50 g (⅓ cup) pine nuts leave out if taking into a nut-free school
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3 red peppers de-seeded and chopped into small pieces
- 350 g (2⅓ cups) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F (180C/355F fan).
- Lightly grease some silicone muffin trays with spray oil and stand them on oven-safe trays.
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl.
- Add the milk, butter, garlic pureé and beat again.
- Next, stir 150g (1½ cups) of the cheese, pine nuts and oregano.
- Add the peppers and stir into the mix.
- Fold in the flour - the mixture will become stodgy, don't worry!
- Generously spray a 12-hole nonstick muffin tray with oil.
- Use an ice cream scoop to drop one heaped serving into each hole of your muffin trays.
- Put a pinch of the remaining cheese on top of each muffin - depending on how many trays you have, you may need to cook in batches.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until just beginning to brown on top.
- Cool for a few minutes in the tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Geordie says
These were GREAT. I worried that the mix was a bit stodgy but the recipe expressly said not to and I trusted it. They've come out amazing! Can't wait for lunch tomorrow!
Emily Leary says
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know :)
Eve says
These look great! Do you know if this recipe works with melted butter?
Emily Leary says
There's melted butter in the ingredients list?
Kat | Beau Twins says
The girls love the muffins I make them! Great receipe - I will be sure to try. x
Lucy Goodwin says
I am going to have to try these, my 4 year old starts reception in September and looking for recipes that don't include sugar as his behaviour isn't great and want to see if cutting out sugar helps