Have you tried baked eggs? If you want to do some Cooking to Impress while still serving up a nutritious breakfast, Baked Eggs may be just what you are looking for. A few simple ingredients layered in a ramekin, then placed in a hot oven for a few minutes, will result in something very special. It is also something that is out of the ordinary, and often brings out “I never had this before, it is great”.
Once you have tried it, feel free to experiment with different taste combinations. The dish is not limited to breakfast and brunch. I also use this recipe as a side dish, especially with fish. It is also fast enough and healthy enough for an after-workout snack.
No Olive Oil, But Popeye Will Love It Anyway.
This egg dish has only 4 ingredients, egg, spinach, cheese, and salsa. You prepare it, cook it and eat it from a ramekin. If you are not familiar with the ramekin, you need to get some and incorporate them into your cooking. A ramekin is a small glazed ceramic, plastic, stainless steel, or glass bowl used for cooking and serving various dishes. They are perfect for individualized servings, especially for deserts. Feel free to try different sizes. That said, I favor a glazed ceramic ramekin in a 8-ounce size. Ramekins are relatively inexpensive unless you get them at a specialty store. A set of 4 will cost less than $10.
Baked Eggs with Spinach
I was thinking of calling this Popeye’s Eggs but then thought maybe someone would think it was from the fast-food restaurant. So just baked eggs and spinach until I can think of a better name.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup of spinach
- ½ slice of cheese or1/8th cup of shredded cheese
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite salsa
- 1 Tablespoon of butter (optional)
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: under 10 minutes.
You can change the flavor profile of this simple dish by your choice of salsa and cheese. My favorite wake-up combination is using a local artisan horseradish cheddar cheese coupled with mild salsa. For something a little sweet, I pair a shredded Mexican blend of cheese with nice sweet pineapple salsa.
Let’s Get Cooking To Impress
This is one dish I almost always do in my turbo-broiler. In my book, I talk about the benefits of a small tabletop turbo-broiler. It is a glass convection oven, whose biggest benefit for me is that it can reach your desired cooking temperature in just a few minutes. Also, especially for this recipe, you can easily watch the food cooking.
- Set the turbo-broiler (or oven) to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and start it preheating.
- Layer the spinach in the bottom of the ramekin.
- Place the cheese on top of the spinach.
- Add the salsa on top of the cheese.
- Use a spoon and make a small intend in the mix. This will help center the egg.
- Carefully break an egg, leaving the yolk intact, and add it to the ramekin.
- You can add a tablespoon of butter on top of the egg if you wish. Doing so will add fat, but will also create a crust over the top.
- Place the dish into your turbo-broiler or preheated oven.
- Carefully watch the progress of your eggs. If you like your eggs sunny side up, this will be ready in about 3 or 4 minutes. Waiting about 8 minutes will give you a hard yoke, like in a hard-boiled egg.
- When finished, remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two. Then, using a fork, mix everything together and start to eat.
Baked Eggs, not just for Breakfast
As a side dish, this baked eggs and spinach can pair with many different dishes. The creamy texture adds elegance to any course. Goes great with fish or chicken.
