Once upon a time I ran across this idea on YumSugar to bake an egg in a ramekin lined with ham. It looked delicious, sounded yummy, and seemed so easy. So this week when I decided I wanted something hearty for breakfast, but really didn’t have the time, I quickly pulled out a few things from the freezer and refrigerator to make a similar breakfast.

A while back I had bought a pound of proscuitto because it was all the store had, so I’ve been keeping it in the freezer (which is really handy — it’s sliced so thin, it defrosts in a minute). I had some pesto from the grilled cheese paninos I made earlier in the week, so I decided a dollop of that would give me some flavor and some veggies in my breakfast (hey – basil and parsley are leaves!!). And of course, there was the egg.

So I started the oven at 350 degrees, and spritzed a muffin tin with some olive oil. Then I lined the tin with the proscuitto, managing to cover all the nooks and crannies at the bottom so no holes were there. Crack the egg into the proscuitto cup, and season with salt and pepper. Finish it off with a dollop of pesto and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the egg white just begins to set if you like your yolk runny (seriously, pull it out just before you think the egg white is set, or you get a partially cooked yolk) or a little after you egg white sets if you want cooked yolk. While it’s cooking is the perfect time to hop in the shower!

When they’re done, use a fork to pop them out of the tin. There was a little egg that had seeped through to the other side of the proscuitto that I missed, but otherwise these slid right out with no problems. I toasted a bit of focaccia and dropped the egg cup on top, and my husband and I had a quick, gourmet-looking breakfast.

You can also make these with a dollop of tomato sauce instead and add a little cheese. Both ways are quite tasty.

Gluten free alternative: Don’t serve with bread.

Filed under:
Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten free, Quick and Easy by Courtney