Kristina (known as Kia to our family) and I share a beloved family member, Nancy, who used to live on the west coast. Each time we would go to Whiterock Nancy would make these eggs to feed us and her hungry lot in the morning. They are dead simple yet delicious. I make extra as they keep in the fridge for a few days and are easy warm-ups for Madeline’s breakfast. I also use the extra eggs as a hit of protein on a salad. Shawn tops his with hot sauce. These egg cups are a breeze to make for a brunch crew as you can assemble them before everyone arrives and then just pop them in the oven 20 minutes before brunch.
Feel free to play with the ingredients to suit yourself or your brunch guests. For a grown up version, I use a nice prosciutto and top the eggs with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh basil. For the wee ones I use any kind of ham, grated cheddar or tex mex blends of cheese and top with parsley (or no greens if your kids have an aversion to anything green.) As always, buy organic if possible for better flavors and better health. Happy brunch-ing!
What You’ll Need
- Eggs (for a brunch of eight people I usually do a dozen and a half and plan for leftovers)
- Ham (for 18 eggs I buy 500 grams)
- Grated cheese
- Cream
- Freshly chopped herbs
Spray your muffin tins with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Line your tin with ham (I usually cut my ham in halves and quarters and fill each muffin cup with a half piece and then a quarter to fill in the gap). Break an egg into each cup. Top with 1 tsp of cream, a small mound of cheese and your freshly chopped herb. Bake 15 minutes in a 350o oven. Adjust the cooking time according to your preference on the doneness of your eggs.
Note: To keep things simple for brunch I have taken to baking my bacon in the oven. Dead simple and virtually no mess to clean up.
