I write a lot here about what you can eat for dinner if you’re a spry, young single person cooking when you get home at 8pm but I seldom discuss cooking breakfast for one, which is astounding when there are recipes as easy as these baked eggs with spinach and bacon up my sleeve.
Yes, I have a category devoted to breakfast in my recipe index but those are mostly treat-breakfasts: homemade cinnamon buns, chocolate chip scones and even hearty coconut oatmeal bowls.
Not typical grab-and-go fare and even indulgent for weekend mornings.
A spinach and cheddar breakfast bake is a great make-ahead breakfast dish – but not very efficient if you’re only cooking for one or two.
Which, if you’re single, is likely. I have friends over for dinner often, but rarely do they manage to get out of bed only to stumble down the street or across town to eat my pancakes.
Whether you’re making Sunday brunch for your special someone or want a morning meal for yourself more substantial than a cereal bar but less involved than fritatta, baked eggs are the way to go.
Ramekins are ideal for baking these but oven-safe dinnerware or a soup crock will also work.
I made these for the first time this weekend and will definitely be repeating them on future Saturday and Sunday mornings. Add coffee and a paper (or your Google reader) and you have the perfect start to a nice little day.
- 1 cup fresh spinach, washed and trimmed (or frozen, see below)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 egg (for a heartier breakfast, you can use 2 with ramekins that hold at least 7 ounces)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon plain bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 slice center-cut bacon (or turkey bacon)
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small sauté pan, melt butter and add rinsed, chopped spinach. If using frozen, make sure spinach is completely thawed and drained before adding to pan. Toss the spinach in the pan, stirring to coat it with butter. Place the spinach in the ramekin and use the back of a spoon to make a little nest in the spinach.
- Top the nest of spinach with a thin layer of breadcrumbs, about ½ tablespoon. Crack 1 egg into the nest. Top with remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook one slice of bacon according to package directions. When cooled, crumble on top of egg mixture in ramekin dish.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the eggs are just set and the whites solidified. Cooking time will vary by oven so begin checking for doneness after 10 minutes.
- Baked Eggs with Spinach & Bacon (For Two)
- Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and trimmed (or frozen, see below)
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 eggs (for a heartier breakfast, you can use 4 eggs in total with ramekins that hold at least 7 ounces)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons grated cheese (preferably Parmesan, but any hard grated cheese will work)
- 2 slices of center-cut bacon (or turkey bacon)
- Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small sauté pan, melt butter and add rinsed, chopped spinach. If using frozen, make sure spinach is completely thawed and drained before adding to pan. Toss the spinach in the pan, stirring to coat it with butter. Place half of the spinach in each ramekins and use the back of a spoon to make a little nest in the spinach.
- Top each nest of spinach with a thin layer of breadcrumbs, about ½ tablespoon. Crack 1 egg into each nest. Top with remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook two slices of bacon according to package directions. When cooled, crumble on top of egg mixture in ramekins.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the eggs are just set and the whites solidified. Cooking time will vary by oven so begin checking for doneness after 10 minutes.
15 Comments
Lori@FakeFoodFree
February 9, 2011 at 2:53 amThis is my kind of individual meal. Looks delicious! I find that sometimes I like to make a lot for leftovers, but when my husband travels for work I need something just for me. This is perfect.
Cate O'Malley
February 8, 2011 at 3:48 pmLove baked eggs in the am, delicious way to start the day. I put a little sprinkle of feta on the top – yum.
Margaret
January 20, 2010 at 11:29 pmThis looks tasty. Easy. Love that you can make in a ramekin.
Thanks for coming by for a visit.
Cate O'Malley
January 19, 2010 at 8:27 amLove that it’s a recipe for one, since the kids aren’t big fans of eggs; bookmarking to try on the weekend. Yum!
Travis
January 19, 2010 at 8:15 amHey…I tried these this morning, but the internet wasn’t working so I had to go off my memory from reading yesterday. Although not the same (I forgot the cheese), they turned out great. I didn’t have any fancy Ramekins, so I made smaller ones using a muffin pan.
mandy
January 18, 2010 at 10:12 pmThese sound really delicious. I’m not ambitious enough to make breakfast in the morning but often look for something to make for dinner using breakfast foods. This will be great!
Jessica
January 18, 2010 at 8:52 pmI like the idea of making a lot of these in Ramekins and serving at a brunch party. Cute idea!
thatShortChick
January 18, 2010 at 7:01 pmspinach and eggs is my new favorite combo.
I’ve tried the spinach&egg wrap at starbucks (besides the fact that it had a pizza-like taste to it and is LOADED with sodium, it was pretty good) and have been on the hunt to find more similar recipes or meals.
can’t wait to give this one a try 🙂
Carissa
January 18, 2010 at 4:37 pmyummy! I love eggs, for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 🙂 and they’re so easy to make… like this recipe. I’ve never actually had baked eggs, but these sound too good not to try!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)
January 18, 2010 at 3:39 pmSomething about baked eggs always reminds me of a particular weekend at a lovely inn in the Berkshire Mountains. They had the most elegant breakfasts. Not complicated, but elegant — like this recipe.
Gaby
January 18, 2010 at 11:05 amI love this idea for breakfast! And seriously… everything with bacon is delicious! Pancetta would be awesome too! Thanks Maris!
Amy from She Wears Many Hats
January 18, 2010 at 11:01 amSo easy! I’ve made baked eggs but why I don’t remember to use it as a simple “go to” I’ll never know. Love the bread crumbs and cheese added – yum.
kat
January 18, 2010 at 10:40 amI’ve had baked eggs out but never made them at home. I’m bookmarking this to try
Daryl Callahan
January 18, 2010 at 8:11 amLooks like something I would love altho not a big fan of spinach. Loks delicious and very tempting
Sarah Caron
January 18, 2010 at 8:11 amYum! Those sound great. I love the combo of bacon, eggs and spinach. I really mean to try baked eggs but I worry about over (or under!) cooking.