Baked Eggs Recipe
Baked eggs in edible cups with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and lots of vibrant spices.
Much of my current enthusiasm about cooking eggs stems from a simple fact, if I eat an egg (or two) for breakfast I'm satisfied until lunch. The same can't be said about bagels. I mention bagels because they are one of the few non-pastry items available at most cafes in the morning. All the cafes in my neighborhood serve whole wheat bagels, which being completely honest here, I tolerate more than I enjoy. Some of you might cite the breakfast bagel as a viable and satisfying breakfast choice and you aren't alone, one of the local spots does a brisk business in these egg-and-cheese topped creations. But I'm going to argue that the bread (bagel) to egg ratio is a bit out of balance for my tastes - they should serve these open-faced with no top. No?
So, this got me thinking about a better breakfast. A better egg breakfast to be specific. Omelettes, boiled eggs, fried eggs, and scrambles are all old hat for me - I wanted to explore territory I wasn't as comfortable with. What about baked eggs? Bingo. What about baked eggs in edible cups? Even better.
I knew I wanted these to be individual egg cups (maybe tart is a better word?), so I suspected standard muffin tins would work well as molds. I would tuck some pita, or thin lavash bread, or a tortilla, or two very thin, long criss-crossed slices of potatoes into alternating muffin slots. Add a bit of filling, crack an egg on top of each cup, and bake.
I needed to work out the filling and decide what other ingredients I wanted to pair with the eggs - what other flavors I wanted to introduce. I love Spanish tortillas (with eggs and potatoes) served with romesco sauce, so I thought that might serve as inspiration. Unfortunately it was also going to require a special trip to the store. Instead, I raided my spice drawer for smoked paprika, chile flakes, and cumin. Hit up the refrigerator for a couple handfuls of tiny cherry tomatoes, and chopped up a spring onion. The idea was: make filling, crack egg, bake, and serve on pretty plate with simply dressed salad on the side. the cool thing I'm not realizing is that you could do your little sauteed filling the night before, and have six of these in the oven the next morning in under two minutes for a brunch or even breakfast before work (bake while blow drying).
So here is is the my baked egg recipe plus a couple other variations I'd like to try in the future. Let me know your ideas as well!
- Thin tortilla cups + spicy bean base + egg + avocado & salsa on top
- Pita cups + goat cheese and herb base + egg + creme fraiche on top
- Or what about a maple-kissed version with something savory to bridge and temper the sweetness?
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Baked Egg Recipe
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 big pinches ground cumin
2 big pinches chili flakes
2 big pinches smoked paprika
2 big pinches fine sea salt
1 cup spring (or regular) onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered2 pieces of pita bread, cut into quarters
6 large organic eggs
Garnish: finely chopped tomatoes, chile flakes, cilantro (optional)Special equipment: standard 12 muffin tin
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the cumin, chile flakes, paprika, salt, onion, and garlic. Cook until onions soften, just a minute or two. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes soften up a bit, another two or three minutes. Set aside.
Take six pieces (quarters) of the pita bread, gently open each of them and tuck them into the muffin tin - every other slot. If the pita splits, no worries, just criss-cross the bread into a nest or tart shell of sorts so there is coverage across the bottom so the egg and filling won't run out.
Spoon a bit of the tomato filling into each pita cup, dividing it amongst the six cups. Now crack a single egg into each pita cup. You don't want the cups to overflow, hold back a bit of the egg white if you need to. Also, you don't want the egg yolk to jet up toward the sky, try to ensure it is level with the whites or the yolks can dry out while baking.
Carefully place in the oven (racks in the center) and bake for about 15 minutes. Until the whites have set and become opaque. Serve hot garnished with a sprinkling of chopped tomatoes, chile flakes, and/or a bit cilantro.
Makes six egg cups.
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Another breakfast idea: once, when my parents visited, they purchased (& left) a box of shredded wheat cereal (they eat it for b'fast, I don't). Wishing not to waste, I developed a fun meal...recipe follows. It is quite satisfying, and the kids love the novelty. 1 1/2 cups finely crumbled shredded wheat cereal 2-3 tbsp. butter melted 1/2 C. shredded cheese (your preference) 6 eggs beaten (or equiv. of egg substitute) sea salt/gr. pepper to taste pico de gallo (if your s/o only eats eggs w/ a tex-mex flair...) Combine butter & cereal; distribute evenly in 6 med. muffin cups; pour eggs over, top with cheese, salt/pepper. Bake for 15 minutes in 350 oven, or until eggs are barely set. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes after removing from oven. Top w/ pico if using.
This looks absolutely yummy, but remains highly simple. All those variations seem tempting enough... I wonder if it could be made with a crêpe instead of a pita, and then go on the more sugary side, maybe? Egg and fruits/jam and fresh mint, perhaps? Maybe something with ham and gruyère, or salmon, hollandaise sauce and asparagus or spinach (or fresh dill?)? I'm getting all hungry now! ;)
My family started with a recipe for Romaine Pesto and Egg-stuffed Tomatoes I found on the Internet...changed it to regular pesto...decided it would be great with salsa instead of pesto and pepper jack cheese in place of parmesan. Oh, yum. You have to have a large enough tomato to accomodate the egg...just saying. (Thanks for all the great recipes by the way...love 'em!)
I don't know what looks more delicious, the picture or the making the food. Unbelievable shot you have there. It's so clear and appealing. What a photo!
Well, the obvious (and dee-licious) pairing for your maple idea would be bacon - I vote for a bacon maple cup. Mmmm. I'm also thinking about a miso paste, salmon and scallion topping, with nori as a cup- but if nori isn't supportive enough, maybe a sticky (brown?) rice cup? I'll let you know if it works out.
Omigosh! I am definitely in the egg-lover camp. In fact, I find that all my closest friends tend to be egg lovers too ;) Several years ago there was an Eggs 101 feature in Martha Stewart Living. She had recipes for coddled and baked eggs, for which I've kept the recipes but have never attempted. I'm going to try yours and hers now. Thank you!
These look totally delicious! I can't wait to go greek - pita, some sauteed spinach, red onion, and feta! yum!
I'd love it if you'd do an article on pickling cucmbers, zucchini and the like when these summer vegetables finally get rolling!
Very good idea. I've done something similar with hole wheat bread, cut off the crusts and roll a bit with a rolling pin, brush with olive oil and line the muffin tin, add leftover ratatouille, crack in an egg and bake. My husband doesn't like whole eggs, so for him I scramble an egg and pour it on top of the filling. A sprinkle of Parmesan is a good finish. I'll try it soon with the pita bread.
This is a wonderful idea, Heidi! I love eggs for breakfast, and I will definitely try this as soon asII have some suitable 'bottoms'! And the rest? We'll see what's in the fridge! Thanks!
For the meat eaters, I've seen this done with bacon, thinly sliced ham or prosciutto. Also a good savory mix and ups the protein factor for those go low-carb. !!!
I adore baked eggs, and those look delish. One of my simplest and best: whir some dried shiitake in the spice grinder to make a powder out of it. Melt a little butter in a saute pan, add the shiitake powder, and let it foam up. Scrape that into two ramekins or muffin cups, and crack two eggs in each, then top each off with more shiitake dust. Bake at about 375 for 12-14 minutes, and get the toast ready in the meantime. Shiitake and baked eggs really like one another!
I saw something similar in Vegetarian Times last month - they had you cram a piece of toast into a ramekin. That worked pretty well, but I really like the tortilla idea!
I do some baked eggs for supper that my husband loves. I think this is from Barefoot Contessa ( a variation) Heat a shallow baking dish in a 400 degree oven with a couple of spoonfuls of butter in the bottom and a couple of tablespoons of cream until they are bubbling hot. Remove from oven, gently crack 2 or 3 eggs on top of the mixture. Top with grated asiago or parmesan cheese. Place back in oven. I cook them for 8 minutes. The yolk is still soft and a little runny. Soo good with toast, or bagel.
I often bake eggs in muffin cups with a little cream and chives, but I never thought of making an edible cup to hold it all...Genius! I can't wait to try it tomorrow with some sautéed spring onion and spinach from our csa box. Maybe some chopped asparagus,parmesan and chives on top? Yum, I'm inspired! Thanks, Heidi
Oh I think sauteed mushrooms onions and green peppers, with just a touch of cheese would be great, and in a tortilla with salsa, it could be a breakfast quesadilla. Or what about making "crusts" out of the polenta crackers you made a while back. I haven't tried them so I don't know if they hold up well enough for this. That would probably be better for the weekend, or a brunch as it seems like alot of trouble for the early morning.
Heidi! This looks wonderful :D I'll try this on Monday for the whole family ;D I've always thought bagels were overrated (unless they're topped with creamcheese and BC smoked salmon, mmm...) Only eggs have managed to keep me satisfied until lunch. Not to mention the fact that they are both great tasting and incredibly versatile, so you'd never get sick of them. Please keep your great recipes and ideas coming. They always brighten up my days--kinda like this morning :D
Wow! First off I am not a breakfast fan. I usually force myself to eat breakfast every morning because I would never be able to function at work. On the weekends I usually do make a "meal" of eggs or an omellet for my boyfriend and I. After reading what you wrote and the recipe you gave us I have decided to try this one out either this weekend or next. It looks amazing and I am sure it will taste great! I think I might try salmon and scallons as the "filling and topper"
I'd been looking for more protein-based breakfasts. Like you, a bagel or anything bread-based lasts me about 12 minutes, and then I'm scrounging for something else. I can't wait to try these this weekend!
This looks simply delicious! It reminds of a work trip that I made to Deadhorse on Alaska's North Slope, where big oil houses their oil rig employees and support staff. One morning in the the personal living quarters where I was staying at the dining center there was a breakfast very similar to your recipe. I absolutely loved what i perceived to be very similar to a Hispanic breakfast. I can't wait to try your variation and will do so this weekend. :)
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