Baked Egg Cups

Delectably savory, my baked egg cups are a quick and easy protein-packed breakfast or brunch. Whipped up with slices of smoky Black Forest ham, grated Swiss cheese, plus sauteed mushrooms and spinach for loads of savory flavor, this baked egg cups recipe is a delicious, diner-inspired indulgence, terrific with toast!

A Self-Contained Little Breakfast in a Cup

Eggs are one of those staples that we find ourselves preparing often in our household...

Whether we're making scrambled eggs, frittatas, omelettes, or even hard-boiled eggs to be enjoyed as egg salad on crackers in the afternoon as a snack, eggs are an easy and versatile food to reach for when we're hungry for a quick meal that provides a boost of protein.

Because we're such “egg heads” in our household, especially my hubby and our son (when he comes home to visit us), I'm often on the lookout for delicious new ways that they can be prepared and enjoyed, and these baked egg cups are our latest favorite pick.

For my tasty little egg cups recipe here, I decided to kick things up a notch by making these “ham-n-Swiss” style by incorporating some Black Forest Ham, some pungent grated Swiss cheese, plus some delectably earthy and aromatic sauteed shiitake mushrooms, minced shallot and baby spinach.

The flavor in this recipe is out-of-this-world delicious and even a little on the gourmet side.

Nice and filling, two of these egg cups end up being super satisfying...especially with toast!

So if you're craving a hearty and healthy brekky or brunch to treat yourself and your loved ones to, these baked egg cups with ham and cheese are just the ticket.

My Baked Egg Cups Recipe with Black Forest Ham, Swiss Cheese, and Sauteed Veggies

What I love about baked egg cups is that they're kind of a “self-contained” meal, prepared in a muffin tin in which one's choice of ingredients are layered in before an egg is cracked in over top.

While it's typical to have some kind of thinly sliced meat such as ham or even prosciutto to create that “cup” like shape, one can keep it as simple as just adding some shredded cheese over that on the bottom, or have a little more fun with creative ingredients like I do, by adding in a few more bells and whistles...

I'm opting for Black Forest ham here, because I love the smoky flavor of it.

And because the combo of ham and Swiss are a match made in flavor heaven, I'm also adding some grated Swiss cheese on the bottom of these cups, followed by a small spoonful of a mixture of shiitake mushrooms, shallots and spinach, which I quickly saute together.

This combination of ingredients makes for wonderfully savory and mouthwatering baked egg cups, made extra tasty with a finishing sprinkle of chives!

Here's a glance at my baked egg cups recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I saute my mushrooms, shallots and spinach for a few minutes, just until the mushrooms are browned and the spinach wilted. I set this aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. Next, I line each cup of a twelve-cup muffin tin with a thin slice of Black Forest ham (or two overlapping slices, depending on the size of the slices), sprinkle in some of the grated Swiss cheese, then spoon over that some of the cooled mushroom/spinach mixture.
3. Then, I crack an egg over top of everything (one per muffin cup), season with salt and pepper, and place the muffin tin into a 400° oven to bake for anywhere between 13 to 15 minutes, depending on how set I’d like my yolks.
4. Once out of the oven, I allow the baked egg cups to rest for 3-4 minutes.
5. To finish, I sprinkle over some chives, carefully remove the egg cups from the muffin tin, and enjoy immediately while hot, and with toast on the side.

Recipe

Baked Egg Cups

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These baked egg cups are the perfect protein-packed breakfast prepared with Black Forest ham, Swiss cheese, spinach and mushrooms!

Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Yield: 12 egg cups

Nutrition Info: 299 calories per 2 baked egg cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 12 thin slices Black Forest ham (or 24, if the slices are smaller)
• 1 (heaping) cup grated Swiss cheese
• 12 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon finely minced chives, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Place a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once hot, add in the minced shallots and the sliced shiitake mushrooms, along with a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute them together just until the mushrooms soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Stir in the spinach, and once wilted, remove the mixture from the heat, and spoon into a bowl to slightly cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°, and lightly mist a 12-cup muffin tin lightly with cooking spray.
5. Line each muffin cup with a thin slice of Black Forest ham (or even two overlapping slices, if the slices are small), pushing it down to conform to the muffin cup as best as possible. Sprinkle in a slightly heaping tablespoon of the grated Swiss cheese, then spoon in about 1 generous teaspoon worth of the spinach/mushroom mixture, pressing it down a bit.
6. Crack an egg directly into each muffin cup (over top of the spinach/mushroom mixture), then sprinkle over some salt and pepper, and carefully place the egg cups into the oven to bake for 13 to 15 minutes, depending on how set you like your egg yolks. (For runnier yolks, remove the egg cups at around 13 minutes, and for more set yolks, remove at around 15 minutes).
7. Allow the egg cups to rest for 4 to 5 minutes in the muffin tin. Then, sprinkle over each a small amount of the minced chives, and using a small offset spatula or a butter knife, gently remove the baked egg cups from the muffin tins and serve immediately while hot.

Tips & Tidbits for my Baked Egg Cups recipe:

• Use a standard, non-stick, twelve-cup muffin tin: The perfect size baked egg cups are the ones that are prepared in a standard-size, twelve-cup muffin tin. Two of these egg cups make for a terrific serving. Avoid using a jumbo-size, six-cup muffin tin, because these egg cups would be quite large, and you'd need about two eggs cracked in to fill one cup.
• Black Forest ham, or your favorite meat: Thinly-sliced meat such as ham or prosciutto is what helps to hold together that “cup” shape for baked egg cups, and offers a little buffer and added flavor. Typically, one slice of ham per muffin cup does the trick, but if the slices are smaller, then use two slices and overlap them. And if you'd like to substitute another meat, you can use thinly sliced smoked turkey or chicken breast, deli-style.
• Swiss cheese, or your favorite kind: I love the ham-n-Swiss combo, but you can add any kind of meltable cheese that you'd prefer. Some terrific options are Jack cheese, smoked mozzarella, Italian cheese blend, or sharp cheddar.
• Bake the egg cups according to how you like your yolks: If you like very soft, runny yolks, then bake your egg cups for about 12 to 13 minutes, just until the whites are set. You can add time in increments of 1 minute, going up to 15 minutes for a more "jammy" or even "set" yolk.

Hungry for more mouthwatering breakfast treats? Check out this Breakfast Frittata, this Vegetable Frittata, this this Shakshuka, this French Toast Casserole, these Orange Cinnamon Rolls, or this Homemade Breakfast Sausage!