Easy Baked Eggs with Fresh Herbs & Spinach
Easy Baked Eggs with Fresh Herbs & Spinach turn a few healthy ingredients into a sumptuous breakfast. Baby spinach, fresh herbs, a couple of eggs, and a touch of Boursin cheese are baked into a delicious and crave-worthy breakfast dish. Served with crusty French bread for dipping, this complete breakfast recipe will start your day off right!
This may be a recipe for one, but it can easily be increased to feed a family. Just make sure to use individual ramekins so the eggs cook evenly. This healthy recipe is vegetarian, keto friendly, and gluten-free! To find out how to make this recipe dairy-free, visit the Pimp Our Recipe section below in our Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe updated as of 3/23/22
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Place the oven rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 350°F. Lightly spray the inside of a small oven proof ramekin (see Note below), and set aside.
Note: Recipe can be doubled (or increased to feed a family). However, it’s important to use individual 10 ounce oven proof ramekins that are between 4 ½ and 5 inches in diameter, so the eggs bake evenly and according to the instructions. Please note that adding multiple ramekins to your oven may increase baking time (see Notes Section at the end of these Step by Step Instructions for more details).
STEP 2
Using a sharp chef’s knife, roughly chop 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves, and set aside. Finely chop enough for one pinch of fresh rosemary, and set aside. Remove leaves from 1 sprig of fresh thyme leaves, and set aside.
STEP 3
To a small mixing bowl, add chopped baby spinach, 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of finely chopped fresh rosemary, ½ sprig of fresh thyme leaves, a small pinch of Himalayan salt, and a small pinch of ground black pepper, and toss to combine.
STEP 4a
Transfer coated spinach leaves to a prepared ramekin, and spread out evenly. Make two wells in the spinach. Crack 2 cold large eggs into the spinach wells (1 egg per well), and season eggs with a small pinch of Himalayan salt and ground black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese in small clumps around the eggs, and sprinkle with remaining ½ sprig of fresh thyme leaves.
STEP 4b
Bake for about 15 minutes until eggs are set (if eggs are uncooked on top after 15 minutes, see Note below). Remove from the oven, and let cool for a minute.
Note: Depending on your oven, baking times may vary between 10 - 15 minutes. If eggs appear cooked on the bottom and uncooked on top after the initial bake, then without opening the oven, switch the oven to broil (on 475°F - 500°F), and broil just until the eggs have set on top (about 30 to 60 seconds, or cooked to your liking). The edges of the cheese should be lightly golden brown. Broiling at the end will finish baking the top of the eggs to yield a semi-soft yolk.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Serve in hot ramekin (see Note below) along with a side of crusty French bread.
Note: CAUTION - Although baked eggs are usually served in the ramekins right from the oven, be careful not to touch the ramekin with your hands while it’s hot. Place the hot ramekin on a trivet, and enjoy this deliciously hot breakfast. And, don’t forget to try dipping some crusty French bread into the yolks - it’s delicious!
Notes:
To ensure eggs cook evenly when you are more than doubling this recipe, consider placing the ramekins in a bain-marie (water bath), instead of directly on the rack. Cooking in a bain-marie will affect baking time, so stay close to your oven to ensure your eggs do not overcook.
For recipe variations, or suggestions on how to make this dairy-free, visit the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips for this recipe.
VIDEO
How to Make these Delicious Easy Baked Eggs!
Blog Comments & Tips
A Sumptuous and Healthy Breakfast!
Baked eggs seem to be quite popular these days, and I can see why. They are quick to prepare, and you can get very creative with all the ingredients. We have put together a healthy recipe for Easy Baked Eggs with Spinach & Fresh Herbs that we think you will love.
There are so many variations of baked eggs recipes out there that we were intent on developing our own version. When we developed this recipe in the PMR Kitchens, we knew it would be good, but we had no idea how sumptuous that first bite would be! The flavor created by this combination of simple and healthy ingredients is truly astounding. We fittingly named this dish crave-worthy, as I wanted to make it for breakfast the next day, and the next after that!
Although they have become popular again, baked eggs are not new at all. The French developed Oeufs en Cocotte (i.e., eggs in a pot) during the 19th century. Oeufs en Cocotte were baked in a small pot with butter and heavy cream in a bain-marie (i.e., eggs in a dish that are partially submerged in a heated bath). You can make a bain-marie in the oven by using a roasting pan and partially filling it with boiling water. Or you can do a stove top bain-marie by using a wider pot with a lid.
The British version of this dish is called Shirred Eggs, where the eggs are baked in heavy cream in a ramekin either directly on the oven rack, or in a bain-marie. We decided to make this a quick and easy recipe by baking our eggs in the oven directly on the oven rack.
A couple of things to think about when making this recipe.
You should use caution when serving and eating this recipe. Although baked eggs are usually served in the ramekins right from the oven, be careful not to touch the ramekin with your hands while it’s hot. Use a trivet to protect your table when serving this dish.
Although this is a recipe for one, it can easily be increased to feed a family. Just use individual oven proof ramekins that are between 5 ½ and 6 inches in diameter, to ensure even cooking. Keep in mind that your baking time will increase, if you make more servings.
Now you have the recipe, ingredients, and equipment, but how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 5 tips to making great Baked Eggs:
Fresh ingredients are always best. Using fresh herbs, fresh spinach, and fresh eggs are integral to the success of this dish. With very few ingredients, everything has to be great quality in order to shine.
Use cold eggs directly from the fridge.
Don’t over bake your eggs. They should be partially cooked between 10 - 15 minutes (depending on your oven). Switching over to the broil setting for the last 1 - 2 minutes will ensure that the tops of your eggs form a light film and get cooked properly.
CAUTION: Eggs are best when they are hot, but you need to take some precautions when serving this dish. The ramekin and your eggs will be very hot when you remove them from the oven. It’s okay to serve them immediately, but use a trivet, and be cautious when taking those first few bites so you don’t burn yourself.
Serve with crusty French bread. We are sure you will enjoy dipping it into the eggs - it’s absolutely delicious!
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Spicy: Add a small pinch of red pepper flakes to the chopped spinach.
Make it Creamy: Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the chopped spinach.
Make it Lux: Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the chopped spinach, and 1 pat of butter on top of the eggs.
Make it Dairy Free: Omit the Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese, and replace with the same amount of the dairy free version of this cheese. Try Boursin Dairy-Free Garlic & Herbs Cheese.
Other Variations: We love these baked eggs so much that we promise to provide you with more recipe variations of this delicious breakfast dish in the future!
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to use caution when serving and eating this dish, as it’s served hot right out of the oven!
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