Call them Easy Baked Egg Cups with Bread or egg and toast cups in a muffin tin, this versatile egg bake recipe includes ham, cheese and more!
Baked Egg Cups
I'm sure that you are all familiar the classic egg in a hole recipe. For those of you who aren't, it's really rather simple. You just cut a hole in the middle of the bread, fill it with an egg and cook it in a fry pan.
My mother used to make our eggs that way every Sunday and I was happy to eat quite a few slices.
Her recipe is similar in that you use bread while cooking, while almost everything else is different. I wish I could talk to her about my culinary upgrade. I'm almost positive that she would have loved the idea.
Plus, this egg bake with bread recipe is healthier than traditional fried eggs, fried egg sandwiches and YES, even healthier that the egg in a hole as it's baked and not fried.
My husband Ken just loves these little baked eggs cups whereas I make my mother's recipe when I'm feeling reminiscent. But like I said, there's really not that much difference.
I mean eggs and toast traditionally go together, so I thought why not experiment to find new and exciting ways to prepare them. That's where this recipe was born.
Baked Egg Cups with Bread
This egg bake recipe with bread is so delicious and quite versatile.
The egg cups are small enough that your children can eat them while running around, you can eat them on the go and you can dress them up any way that you want.
They are fancy enough, even for brunch with your friends. You can totally amaze them by revealing how easy this egg bake recipe with bread is.
You can also switch up what you actually put into the egg cup itself. It all depends on your preference and the size of muffin tin you use. If the tin is too small then the whites will overflow and make quite a mess.
You can even switch up the type of bread that you use. You can choose from anything ranging from challah to Italian loaf. The only thing you need to make sure of is that the bread is large enough to fit into the tin cups (especially after cutting the crusts off).
You can add different things like bacon or diced peppers, it really all depends on your mood and what you have in the fridge. So, really, you could eat this everyday for a week and not repeat the same combination. The possibilities are endless!
Baked Eggs in Muffin Tin
The very first time I made this egg bake with bread it was an utter disaster. Everything that could go wrong did and I got discouraged until Ken reminded me that we only grow through trial and error.
You see, my problem was that I used a muffin tin that was too small to hold all of the ingredients plus the egg. The egg whites were dripping all over the floor and all over the tin.
I didn't use the right type of bread either. I opted for the cheaper generic brand and it turned out that there was so much air in it that the slices practically dissolved in front of my eyes.
I also forgot to spray the pan....can you believe that??!! The bottom of the baked egg cups with bread adhered to the cups and left me with one big giant mess.
Hopefully by teaching you how to make an egg bake with bread, you'll avoid the hassle of cleaning up that I had to do.
Egg Bake with Bread
Now I'd like to talk a little bit further about my bread cup technique and all the different kinds of bread that you can use.
Like I said earlier, one of the things you can do with this egg bake recipe with bread is to switch up the types of bread you use. Some common types of bread that you can use are:
- white sandwich
- whole wheat
- multigrain (or any other grain combination)
- pumpernickel
- white sliced
- rye
- gluten-free
- challah (egg bread)
As for the building the base of the cup, you'll want to pay close attention to this.
Take whatever bread you use and cut the crusts off (save them for croutons!). Next, roll out the bread lengthwise with a nice, heavy rolling pin.
After you do this, take the two longest ends of the flattened bread and pinch them together. Then, gently slide the bread into the muffin cup (don't forget to spray it like I did).
Once this is done, you're ready to load in your toppings.
Egg Bake Recipe with Bread
Just like you have options with your bread, so do you have options with the filling....well with everything except for the eggs ?
When it comes to the meat that you use, you have all kinds to choose from. Some of these include, but are not limited to, prosciutto, turkey, chicken, corned beef, and roast beef (all of which should be deli cut).
Some of the types of cheese that you have to choose from are swiss, cheddar, white cheddar, provolone and havarti. Of course, you can substitute any kind you like. It's all up to you.
As for the possible fillings, you can add tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, spinach, kale or whatever leafy greens you have.
I've omitted the filling for the purposes of this post but trust me, the added veggies kick these eggs up a notch. Just be careful to use the right sized tin, otherwise you'll end up in a kitchen nightmare like I did!
Ingredients For Baked Egg Cups With Bread
- medium eggs
- white sandwich bread (dense enough to withstand rolling)
- butter
- thinly sliced deli swiss cheese
- thin slices deli black forest ham
- green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish
How To Make Baked Egg Cups
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place the eggs into a bowl of hot tap water and let sit for 10 minutes
Cut the crusts off of all the slices of bread.
Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the rectangular shaped bread
Use your fingers to pinch in the two long ends together, then gently press the bread into a muffin tin periphery (making sure to leave the 2 center cups empty).
Lightly brush bread with butter and bake until light brown.
From the center of the ham and cheese, cut a slit to one edge.
Spin the ham and cheese into cones and place in the muffin cups, cheese first.
Pour one egg into each cheese and ham cone,
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake for 14 to 18 minute (until egg whites look moist and haven't set yet).
Remove eggs from oven and immediately transfer the tin to a wire rack. Tightly cover with aluminum foil and let sit for 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Baked Egg and Toast Cups
Ingredients
- 10 medium eggs
- 10 slices white sandwich bread
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 10 thin slices Swiss cheese sliced thin
- 5 thin slices Black Forest Ham sliced thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Place the eggs into a bowl of hot tap water and let sit for 10 minutes
- Cut the crusts off of all the slices of bread.
- Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the rectangular shaped bread
- Use your fingers to pinch in the two long ends together, then gently press the bread into a muffin tin, making sure to leave the 2 center cups empty.
- Lightly brush bread with butter and bake until light brown.
- From the center of the ham and cheese, cut a slit to one edge.
- Spin the ham and cheese into cones and place in the muffin cups, cheese first.
- Pour one egg into each ham and cheese cone,
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake for 14 to 18 minute (until egg whites look moist and haven't set yet).
- Remove eggs from oven and immediately transfer the tin to a wire rack. Tightly cover with aluminum foil and let sit for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Don’t throw the bread crusts away. Use them to make croutons!
- Be sure to very generously spray the muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- To make the bread baskets use a heavy rolling pin to roll the bread lengthwise. Take the two longest ends of the flattened bread and pinch them together. Then, gently slide the bread into the muffin cup.
- Feel free to add garnish or toppings! Or, make it spicy with a dash of hot sauce!
Nutrition
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