Over the past year and nine months of publishing Inn Cuisine, I have made more breakfast and brunch items than I ever thought possible.
The tastiest foods have made it to the pages of this blog, while others have fallen by the wayside. But calling a recipe the “best of” is a step I don’t take lightly. It’s a serious title for seriously delicious food. To qualify, a dish has to:
- Be straight-forward to prepare
- Be made from ingredients available to most home cooks
- Not require more than 1 hour in the kitchen
- Have a fabulous presentation
- Taste divine
Hands down, this recipe from the Strawberry Creek Inn B&B fills all those qualifications and more. Featuring a winning combination of free-range eggs, fresh herbs, ham and a blend of cheeses, this dish is the epitome of good eating. Each bite packing a flavorful and satisfying wallop, Herb-Baked Eggs is capable of wowing family and guests from morning to night.
Just one of the bed & breakfast recipes I’m shooting for Strawberry Creek Inn’s upcoming cookbook, I emailed owner Rodney Williams the moment I tasted this dish, “This is the best breakfast entree!” But don’t take my word for it, grab your gratin dish and give this recipe a try. If you like eggs and ham, you are going to LOVE this dish!
Strawberry Creek Inn’s Herb-Baked Eggs
(as prepared and photographed for Strawberry Creek Inn B&B’s upcoming cookbook)
to make 4, individual servings of Herb-Baked Eggs you will need:
- 4 slices ham (each about 1/4-inch thick)
- 6 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard (I suggest Dijon or spicy brown)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 & 1/2 cups shredded cheese (a combination of sharp cheddar mixed with Asiago, Parmesan, or other similar cheese), divided
- 4 teaspoons fresh herbs (any combination of basil, thyme, chives or parsley), divided
- salt and pepper to taste
Spray 4 au gratin dishes with non-stick cooking spray.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line each dish with a ham slice. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of fresh herbs atop each ham slice. Evenly layer a generous sprinkling of cheese atop fresh herbs and ham.
In a bowl, beat eggs with the mustard, yogurt and nutmeg. Gently pour (or spoon) egg mixture over the top of ham, herbs and cheese already in each dish; divide mixture evenly amongst servings. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until eggs* are completely set in center. *If you notice edges of eggs beginning to brown before center is set, cover lightly with strips of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning, much like you would a pie crust.
Note: Feel free to substitute turkey ham or vegetarian sausage patties for the ham in this dish if needed or required.
Yield: 4 individual servings. Recipe can be double or halved as needed.
Like this recipe? Be sure to keep an eye out for more sneak previews from Strawberry Creek Inn’s upcoming cookbook.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I can almost smell these delicious babies!
WOW – why didn’t I think of that? So simple, yet so elegant! These will definitely go on our menu!
Yum!! I love baked eggs! Those look so good and I love all the mustard!
This sounds amazing! I need to once and for all get some au gratin dishes for just this reason.
It sounds amazing Sandie. That cookbook sounds like something we need to add to our collections as well.
This dish looks delicious, but I don’t eat ham. Do you think thick slices of bread would work instead?
Mental P Mama – You hit on a key element of this dish; as it bakes, the smell is divine!
Mary Jo – This breakfast entree is ideal for a B&B setting. As you mentioned, so simple, yet extraordinarily delicious. This is one of those recipes where final flavor and texture come together in an unusually delightful way. I can’t imagine a guest not enjoying it, especially with the substitution notes Rodney included at the end of the recipe to fit different dietary requirements of guests & family (see note with substitutions for meat).
Marguerite – The recipe actually calls for very little mustard, but what it does, it does well
Kathy – This recipe sent me on a hunt for gratin dishes as well. I finally found some at an antique store that I loved: old, heavy, well made…must have come from a restaurant about 40 years ago! (Modern gratin dishes seem so much lighter—I like the weightiness of dishes from the past.)
Val – Re: the cookbook, I hope so. Each recipe I’ve made & shot so far has honestly exceeded my expectations. The recipes are unique, tasty & fit my qualifications for being “best of”. I hope Inn Cuisine readers embrace them as much as I do!
Lydia – I personally don’t think bread would be a proper substitute for the ham called for in this recipe. You need something with a bit more meat down there (pardon the pun). Bread would just be too soggy and end up changing the texture of the dish to something like a standard egg bake—wouldn’t be the same at all.
Instead, why not follow Rodney’s notes included at the end of the recipe? For ham substitutions, he suggests turkey ham or vegetarian sausage patties. You really need a meat-type base. Would any of those suggestions work for you instead of the pork?
What a grand breakfast!! easy yet so tasty!!
Just marvellous!!
This was a tasty breakfast treat for sure. I’m looking forward to the cookbook making its debut.
Thanks Inn Cuisine readers for all the positive comments, and thanks also for allowing me to share Sandie’s food styling and photography prowess with you for a short while.
Lydia, I agree with Sandie that adding bread would turn this into a whole other dish entirely (but that’s exactly how new dishes are often discovered!). Besides the substitutions Sandie mentioned, sliced deli turkey would also work, as would a thin layer of sauteed mushrooms. We’ve also done it with nothing at all on the bottom when none of these substitutions fit within a given guest’s diet–not quite as good, but still delightful.