Savory Baked Breakfast Cups

Savory Baked Breakfast Cups

I don't remember exactly what inspired me to make these but I know they've been on my list for quite some time now and I am verrrry proud of the final result!  I have been craving a savory breakfast item for a while since all breakfast in Spain is sweet.  They wouldn't dream of having ham or cheese for breakfast let alone spinach and mushrooms! These savory baked breakfast cups are like the quintessential savory breakfast combination all wrapped up in one.  The ham crisps up in the oven and the egg sets creating a nice bundle of deliciousness.  This recipe is fairly quick too so if you're looking to make an impressive breakfast for a small group, go for it!

Ingredients

12 slices serrano ham or prosciutto

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely diced mushrooms

1/2 bag baby spinach

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Over medium-high heat, place the one tablespoon of oil in a skillet and allow to heat up. Each breakfast cup uses two slices of ham to form the cup, therefore this recipe makes six breakfast cups.  You could use one 6-cup muffin tin but I suggest using two 6-cup muffin tins so that you can put the ingredients in every other cup and remove them from the tin much more easily.  

Taking two pieces of ham, lay them in a cross shape across one muffin cup and gently press them down so that they loosely form a cup shape.  Fold the tops of the ham slices outward onto the surface of the muffin tin. Finely mince the garlic and chop the mushrooms into a small dice.  Add them to the heated oil and allow to cook without moving them for five minutes.  After five minutes stir the mushroom and garlic in the pan, add the spinach and cover.  Check the mixture periodically after five to ten minutes and remove from heat once the spinach is fully wilted.  Once the spinach is wilted, add the half cup of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and stir until well combined.  Spoon a large tablespoon of the cheesy spinach mixture into each ham-lined muffin cup. At this point, you should crack one egg over each cup.  The egg white will sink down and set in the oven and the yolk will stay on top of the vegetables.  I tried to gingerly crack my eggs so that I would have six nice whole yolks, one on the top of each cup.  However, that didn't work out as planned.  If your yolks stay whole, great.  If they don't, that's great as well.

Pop the muffin tins in the oven for twelve to fifteen minutes or until the egg whites are set.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Remove from the muffin tins by gently grabbing two of the ham corners and lifting it out of the tin or by using two spoons to scoop them out.  Season each with a tiny pinch of pepper over the top and enjoy!