Recipe: Baked Ham & Egg Cups with Dressed Greens

This meal was designed for breakfast, but it’s substantial enough that it could easily work for dinner too! And before we jump into the recipe, please tell me I’m not the only who hasn’t tried baked eggs — and I’m not counting eggs as part of cake batter. I make them over easy, boiled, scrambled, poached. In frittatas and omelettes. Egg salad too! I consider myself an egg fan. How have I never made baked eggs?

The secret to making this easy egg recipe into a spectacular breakfast? The greens. Cruciferous family members like broccoli and kale were made to be eaten with eggs. The earthiness of these veggies totally balances out the richness of the egg, and this dish features a sautéed mixture of baby kale, chard, and spinach with leeks in olive oil. Topped with a zingy red-wine vinaigrette, each bite of the slightly sweet ham, rich cheesy egg, and dressed greens is balanced and perfect.

This recipe screams spring! Soon gardens everywhere will be overflowing with greens that can put up with the sometimes wintry temps of March and April, and this recipe will be a welcome recipient for all that kale and spinach.

Please know that this does not have to be reserved for a special event like Saturday brunch. The egg cup takes two minutes to put together, and in the time it spends in the oven, you have plenty of time to sauté your leeks and greens. As the egg bakes, you might even have time for coffee.

Baked Ham & Egg Cups with Dressed Greens

(yields 4 servings)

Ingredients:
Egg Cups:
4 slices deli ham (I used honey ham)
4 tablespoons (¼ cup) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese*
A third of a red bell pepper, diced (about 4 tablespoons)
4 large eggs
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
App. ¼ teaspoon honey (just a tiny drizzle)
App. ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard (just a tiny squirt)
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper (a few cracks each)

Greens:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek (green & white parts), thinly sliced
8 large handfuls mixed greens (baby spinach, kale, and swiss chard)
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

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*freshly grated, as opposed to from a bag, is going to melt much more smoothly

Instructions:
Eggs:
Preheat oven to 400*.
Prepare 4 ramekins (I used Pyrex 6 oz.) with cooking spray. (You can also use a muffin tin for these, which is helpful if you’re making a large batch). Line each ramekin with one slice of ham; the ham will exceed the edges but will shrink during cooking. In the bottom of each ham cup, put 1 tablespoon each of the shredded cheddar and diced red pepper. Crack an egg over the top of each cup, and sprinkle a bit of the salt and pepper on top. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, to desired runniness.

Vinaigrette & Greens:
For the vinaigrette, vigorously shake all ingredients together and set aside.

About 10 minutes into the egg baking time, heat olive oil in a large pot or saute pan. Stir in the leek slices and saute over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes until brightly colored and slightly softened. In the last 2 minutes that the eggs are baking, throw in your greens and toss frequently until just slightly wilted. Remove to a plate and sprinkled generously with salt and pepper, and drizzle with just-shaken vinaigrette.

Assemble:
Arrange dressed greens in a donut-shape on the plate. When eggs are done, carefully remove from the ramekin with a soup spoon and place in the center of the “donut.” Enjoy!

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Oh my goodness. This looks so good, Liz. Thank you!

I especially love using muffin tins to cook the ham cups and eggs. That makes it really easy to cook enough eggs for the whole family at once. If you give this recipe at try, or experiment with variations, I want to hear all about it!

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Credits: Images, styling & recipe by Liz Berget. Assistance by Amy Christie.