eggs Archives - The Midnight Baker

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 23:00:19 +0000

Scotch eggs are a breakfast or dinner treat. They’re easy to make in your air fryer.

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs–A Real Treat

What can be better than a grab-and-go breakfast? That’s exactly what these air fryer Scotch eggs are. They’re so good you can serve them for brunch or even dinner.

Traditionally, they are shallow fried. And they’re delicious that way. Since sausage is pretty fatty, you don’t want to add any more fat than you have to. Air frying is the perfect solution. I’m not saying that because they’re air fried that they automatically become totally healthy, they’re still a treat that should be eaten in moderation.

Air frying does not affect the taste. In fact, I prefer them air fried and I’m not very observant about what I eat. They just have a “cleaner” taste to me.

The Sausage

Here’s where you can make the flavor as interesting as you like.

There are many varieties of sausage ranging from plain to spicy. If your family is into heat, then try these Scotch eggs with a hot-flavored sausage. Like maple? There’s maple flavored sausage too. And of course, the traditional breakfast variety. I choose a mild flavor because I like the taste.

There’s also plenty of store-made specialty sausage so they’re worth a try too. You just need a pound of sausage and bulk is the one to use. However, if there’s a flavor you like that only comes in links, then by all means remove the meat from the casings.

Egg Size

I prefer to use medium eggs for this. That way you are assured you’ll have enough sausage to wrap around them. That’s just a personal preference, but I wouldn’t use anything bigger than USDA large.

Mostly these are made with hard-boiled eggs, but I’ve seen them done with “jammy” eggs too. If you want to have a go with jammy eggs, these will have to be served immediately. With hard-boiled anything left over can be stored in the fridge to be reheated as necessary.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: scotch eggs in the air fryer, scotch eggs with jammy eggs

Servings: 6

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 hard-cooked eggs shells removed and patted dry
1 lb bulk sausage meat
1/4 cup flour
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Divide sausage meat into 6 equal portions. Flatten the sausage in a circle about 1/4-inch thick.
Wrap each piece of sausage around each egg, making sure the egg is completely sealed in the sausage meat.
Roll each egg in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs
Place the eggs in the air fryer and air fry at 390F/200C for 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Nutrition

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Florentine Eggs–Perfect Poached Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 00:00:54 +0000

Florentine eggs are an elegant breakfast or brunch and can even be made ahead. Also learn how to make perfect poached eggs.

Florentine Eggs

Do these look complicated? Surprise, they aren’t.

Florentine eggs are just an assembly job and most of the components can be made in advance. Yes, even the eggs!

Since you will want perfect-looking poached eggs for this elegant dish, I’ll give instructions in this post for how to achieve a perfect poached egg right in this post.

You can change some of the components as well. Ham or Canadian bacon can replace the bacon. You can use Hollandaise sauce instead of the simple cheese sauce recipe I give. For me, Hollandaise is a bit too fussy and moreover, I don’t really care for it that much (surprise, I know!!!). But if you think it would complement this better than by all means. And that goes for any sauce you like!

Perfect Poached Eggs

Perfect poached eggs are easy–that is if you have fresh eggs and by fresh I mean it just dropped out of the chicken. Lots of folks are keeping chickens now so this is definitely a possibility. Fresh eggs have high-standing yolks that are centered and the white clings around the yolk.

However, most of us buy eggs in the supermarket and how fresh that egg is is up for debate. But if you use the following method, your eggs will come out decent looking all the time.

The secret is boiling your egg for 10 seconds to “set” the outer part of the white. First you pierce a hole with a needle or a cork board tack in the large end of the egg. The reason for that is there’s an air pocket up there and piercing relieves the pressure. Then you drop the egg into fast-boiling water for 10 seconds. Then you remove the egg.

Now, to poach eggs, you never let the water boil. You just want simmering water–where you see some small bubbles at the bottom of the pan. Don’t salt the water at this point, but add 1/4 cup of white vinegar per quart of water. This helps the whites to coagulate.

Now break your eggs as close to the water as possible so they gently fall into the water. Let them simmer for 4 minutes, then remove them to a bowl of cold, clean water. The cold water stops the cooking and gets rid of any trace of the vinegar.

At this point the poached eggs can be kept uncovered in the fridge in that bowl of water till you’re ready to use them. To reheat, just place them in some salted simmering water for about a minute. Remember to pat them dry before placing them on any other food.

Other Methods

There are other methods to get good-looking eggs.

One better known method is using these egg poachers (affiliate link). I have them and they work pretty well.

The Recipe

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Florentine Eggs

Elegant and easy breakfast or brunch

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: eggs benedict, florentine eggs, holiday breakfasts, make perfect poached eggs

Servings: 4

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 English muffins
4 poached eggs
8 slices crispy bacon
1 recipe Asian spinach

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup hot milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Separate English muffins into halves and toast.
Divide spinach evenly between the English muffins. Lay 2 slices of bacon over each muffin and top with a poached egg. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over each egg.
Serve immediately

Nutrition

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Creme Caramel

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 00:00:06 +0000

Whether you call it flan, caramel custard or creme caramel, it’s the world’s most beloved dessert.

Creme Caramel: A Beloved Dessert

I don’t think you’ll find many people who don’t love this. No matter whether it goes by flan, creme caramel or caramel custard, the world loves this stuff.

In fact, I had this for the very first time when I was 13 and my mother took us back home to England for a visit. That’s where I fell in love with this. The Brits call this caramel custard. Later on I discovered it was also a Spanish delight. A friend from Puerto Rico would make it for me all the time; she called it flan.

But whatever you call this, it’s totally delicious. It’s easy to make but you have to pay attention to a couple of things when you make it and I won’t lie, it takes a couple of pots and bowls so there’s clean-up. However, I think it’s worth it and I think you will too.

Make A Good Custard

Making a great custard is pretty easy when you come to think about it. There are some caveats that come along with it and you do need to pay attention to what you’re doing, but that’s about it.

First, you’re dealing with a hot liquid being introduced to eggs. If this step isn’t done properly, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. The way to avoid that is either to “temper” the eggs by putting a few tablespoons of the hot liquid into the eggs whilst whisking. Another way is to pour the hot liquid into the eggs in a slow thin stream whisking all the time you’re doing it. The latter is the method I prefer and after you’ve streamed about a cup of liquid, you can add the rest faster since the eggs are tempered by that time.

Another thing you’ll want to do is to strain the custard through a mesh strainer. There will be some little bits of solid egg in the custard that would be a bit unpleasant in the finished dessert. Straining eliminates that possibility. Nothing is worse than a lumpy custard. Don’t skimp; strain.

Caramel

Unlike candy caramels/soft toffee, this concoction is merely sugar and water. You let the sugar dissolve so it’s perfectly clear then boil to evaporate the water.

Honestly, this process is like the proverbial watchpot. But pay attention here. Once that gets to boiling and the bubbles become larger and look syrupy, it will go fast. Essentially, you’re making hard candy but you don’t need a candy thermometer to test since your eye will be good enough. Once it almost reaches a dark amber, remove it from the heat immediately because it will continue to cook and be careful–this is very hot and the burn is no fun. Ask me how I know this…

There’s more hints in the recipe instructions so read them carefully for complete success.

The Recipe

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Creme Caramel

Call it flan, creme caramel or caramel custard, it's a worldwide favorite

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: caramel custard, elegant desserts for the holidays, flan recipe, making egg custard correctly

Servings: 8

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Caramel:

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Custard:

2 cups whole milk NO SUBSTITUTES
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large whole eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F/160C. Place 8 6 oz/17 7ml custard cups in a large roasting pan. Set aside.
To make the caramel, place the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, swirling pan to dissolve the sugar. The liquid will appear clear when the sugar is dissolved. It is very important that you do NOT stir this so resist the temptation. Once the syrup begins to boil, place a lid on the pan. This will cause condensation that will "wash" the sides of the pan and prevent the sugar crystalizing. Remove the cover after a minute or 2, then let it boil until it's a dark amber syrup.
Divide the caramel evenly in each custard cup. Rotate each cup so the syrup coats up the sides. Keep doing this with each cup until the syrup no longer moves.
To make the custard--Combine the milk, cream, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and making sure sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks and vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually add the hot milk mixture whilst whisking. Do this slowly or else you'll scramble the eggs. Strain the mixture through a strainer so there are no bits of egg (there will be) in the custard.
Distribute the custard mixture evenly between the custard cups.
Now boil a kettle of water and pour the water in the baking dish around the custard cups--be careful not to get any water in the custard cups. NOTE--this is easier if you put the roasting pan with the custard cups in the oven first then carefully pour the water in.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle still has a little wiggle in it.
Remove the custard cups to a rack to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days.
To unmold, run a small knife around the the edge of each custard cup to loosen the custard, then invert onto a serving place. Shake the cup a little if it doesn't release.

Nutrition

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Hashbrown Egg Nests

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 23:00:37 +0000

What better way to start Saturday or Sunday than with a weekend breakfast of scrambled eggs in a nest of hashbrown potatoes?

Weekend Breakfast

There’s something very special about weekend breakfasts. Since the work week is over, you’ve slept a little later and can linger a little longer over breakfast.

Because there’s more time on weekend mornings to prepare a fancier breakfast, these special scrambled egg cups are just the ticket. You’ve got all the elements of a diner-style breakfast but all in one package. They are easy to prepare and there’s nothing very involved in the preparations. If you can make scrambled eggs, you’ve got this!

Eggs Dressed Up Or Down

The filling for these nests is scrambled eggs.

You can dress them up or down depending on what extras you have on hand. The basic add-in here is bacon. Bacon can be prepped in advance so all that’s necessary is dicing it when the time comes to prepare these egg nests.

You can easily substitute cooked and crumbled sausage for the bacon. The choice is, of course, up to you and what you have on hand.

The other basic add-in is shredded cheese. Here, you can use any variety of cheese you like–and have on hand. You can also combine cheeses. What I did here was use a Mexican blend and added in some finely dice jalapeño for a little zip.

My other “secrets” to creamy scrambled eggs is cooking them over medium-low heat and putting some cream in them.

These are nice with my orange breakfast rolls.

The Potatoes

The best choice here is to use prepared refrigerated hashbrowns. Just a reminder that it’s the shredded kind–not the patties.

The refrigerated potatoes are the easiest choice because they’re ready-to-use and are dry enough to use right out of the package.

If all you have are frozen shredded potatoes, take them out of the freezer the night before so they are completely defrosted by the time you make these egg nests. Remember to dry them well by either using several layers of paper towels or squeezing them in a clean tea (dish) towel.

The last option is to make your own. That does involve some work and if you completely prep them ahead, they will discolor so keep that in mind. However, the discoloration isn’t spoilage at all and there is no “off” taste.

The Recipe

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Hashbrown Egg Nests

Perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creative ways with hash browns, fancy egg recipes, weekend breakfast

Servings: 6

Calories: 309kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

20 oz refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
6 large eggs
1/4 cup cream see NOTES
1/4 cup milk see NOTES
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs butter
6 slices cooked bacon crumbles
1 jalapeño diced, optional
1 cup shredded cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Spray a standard 12 muffin tin with non-stick spray.
Divide the potatoes up between the cups in the pan. Press into the bottom and up the sides. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
While the potatoes are baking, whisk the eggs, cream, milk and salt in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and pour in the eggs. Stir until eggs are set and no liquid egg remains. Add the bacon, jalapeño and 3/4 cup of the cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
Divide the egg evenly between the cups. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Notes

1/2 cup milk may be substituted for the cream/milk combination

Crumbled cooked sausage may be substituted for the bacon

Any shredded cheese may be used. I used Mexican blend because of the jalapeños

Nutrition

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Ham and Swiss Quiche

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 23:00:26 +0000

A perfect quiche. A great way to start a weekend morning.

Quiche Is Back

Seems that quiche is back in style again. I wasn’t aware it was ever “out” but it hasn’t been trendy for quite a long time.

However, by what I’m seeing on line and in print, quiche appears to becoming popular again. I like that because quiches are easy, they can use up leftovers and most of all, they are very tasty.

There’s a secret to getting a perfect quiche every time–and it’s so easy that you’ll create some delicious ones once you know how to do it!

It’s In The Custard

A quiche is basically a custard which everyone knows is milk or cream and eggs.

The key is getting the right proportions of each of those ingredients so that it’s successful each and every time you make one.

The very first thing is use the dairy product with the highest amount of fat. For me that’s heavy cream. You can’t beat it for flavor or quality of the custard. If you use heavy cream, your custard will be velvety all the time. The next choice is light cream or half and half (for those outside the USA, half and half is 50 percent whole or full-fat milk and 50 percent light or single cream). Those two choices will give very good results too. The last is full-fat or whole milk.

Stay away from low or non-fat milks and half and half. It simply won’t taste good.

Now comes the eggs. For each 1/2 cup/120 ml of cream or milk, use 1 whole large egg. Yes, it’s that simple!

One Last Thing

Ever wonder why some quiches you’ve eaten taste better than ones you’ve made? I wondered that too and when I was watching an old Julia Child show from the early 1960s, I got my answer, or rather answers.

First, pre-bake your crust. This will prevent, as Julia Child says, the proverbial “soggy bottom,” which makes the whole experience unpleasant.

Second thing is you add a teeny pinch of nutmeg to the custard. You don’t taste the nutmeg at all but it enhances all the other great flavors. If you have whole nutmeg, it’s one or two scrapes on the grater. That’s all there is to it!

The Recipe

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Ham and Swiss Quiche

Serve it hot or cold—delicious either way

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Crust Pre-Baking20

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: egg based brunch recipes, making the perfect quiche, quiche secrets, savory pies with egg

Servings: 6

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 pie crust 9-inch deep dish

Filling:

4 eggs
2 cups milk half-and-half or cream
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Place crust in a 9-inch/23-cm quiche pan or standard US pie plate. Line the base of the crust with parchment or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and let the crust cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C
Whisk the eggs and cream together. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour in prepared crust.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

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Classic French Toast

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 00:00:11 +0000

Wake the family up on Christmas morning with classic french toast.

Wake Up To Classic French Toast

French toast is always nice to wake up to for breakfast, but a special one is great to make for Christmas morning.

The custard mixture you make to soak into the bread has nice warm spicy undertones; the flavor is very understated. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t add larger amounts of the called-for spices. If your family really likes a bolder flavor, then feel free to add more to your taste.

Even the bread is special. A lot of people use it to make french toast anyway, but if you don’t try it at least once!

Challah Is Best

By far the best bread to use for French toast is challah.

It’s pretty easy to get in your supermarket’s in-store bakery if you live in or around a large city. Outside such places, sometimes it’s not that easy to find. I can find it 30 miles south of where I live but not in local stores. Sometimes it’s called “French Toast Bread” and maybe it’s in a loaf form instead of it’s classic oval braid. If you cannot get it and want to get adventurous and make some–yes, even if you do it in a loaf pan and not the pretty braid–here’s a good challah recipe.

Warm And Spicy

Even though my mother was a decent cook, her French toast would fall pretty flat because even though she made gorgeous loaves of challah (she was a supreme bread baker) she never used it to make French toast. She used plain old white bread.

Secondly, her egg mixture was pretty basic with just eggs and lots of milk–no other flavorings.

I actually learned to make this great breakfast from eating it all the time in a diner in Brooklyn New York. The secret is the bit of vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Oh yes, and using half and half–for my UK and Euro fans that’s just full-fat milk and single cream in equal proportions. Basically what you’re making is an unsweetened egg nog with cinnamon added. And it’s even better with gobs of butter and some pure maple syrup.

You can use egg nog if you want and have any leftover, but bear in mind that it’s sweet so you may not want to use any syrup if you do use it.

The Recipe

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French Toast

Wake the family up with classic French toast for breakfast.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Breakfast, Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: breakfast recipes, challah bread, french toast, holiday breakfasts

Servings: 4

Calories: 142kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 thick slices—about 1-inch/2.5 cm—challah bread
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbs butter plus extra for serving
fresh berries - optional
powdered/icing sugar - optional
syrup of your choice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk until well blended. Then whisk in the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Lay the bread slices in a large pan (such as a 13 x 9 pan or large casserole dish) then pour over the egg mixture. Let this sit for about 5 minutes then flip the bread slices over.
Heat a large skillet or flat griddle over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter on the griddle. Place the bread slices on the griddle and cook until one side is golden brown. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter on the griddle/pan then flip and cook the other side until it’s golden brown.
Serve with berries, dust with sugar if desired, additional butter and your favourite syrup.

Nutrition

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Chipotle Chili Deviled Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 23:00:33 +0000

Tasty deviled egg recipe with a hint of smoky chipotle chilis.

Perfect For Brunch Or An Appetizer

Apart from quiche, deviled eggs are one of the most common things for brunch. But these chipotle chili deviled eggs can also double as an appetizer too.

There’s many ways to make these. You can go from classic to anything goes.

This deviled egg recipe is somewhere between a classic and an anything-goes variety. I got this idea after reading about the awesome deviled eggs served at La Grande Orange out in Pasadena California. I diligently searched for a recipe or even a copycat but didn’t find one. So from what I read from reviewers about key ingredients, I created my own version.

Bacon? But Of Course!

Apparently, the cafe serves these eggs with bacon “optional/” For me that’s a non-starter because bacon is a must.

There’s not much of it as it’s only place on these deviled eggs is a small piece on top of the yolks. From what I read, it’s not actually in the yolk mixture. I imagine that’s the case because it would present a problem when piping the yolk back into the white. This is what I did.

However, if you want more bacon (and who really doesn’t) flavor, then by all means add it to the yolk mixture and spoon that mixture into the white part instead of piping.

Chipotle Adds So Much

I’m a big fan of chipotle in any form I can get it.

In these eggs, it adds that subtle smokiness that blends so well with the bacon. Next time I make this, I’m going to dice up some chipotles and put them right in the yolk mixture–but in these I used chipotle chili powder in the mixture and dusted the tops with it.

In fact, there’s so many little things you can do to really take these deviled eggs to the next level so always add your own touch.

The Recipe

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Chipotle Chili Deviled Eggs

My copycat of La Grande Orange Cafe’s deviled eggs

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Appetizer, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: copycat recipe, deiled egg recipe, deviled eggs, La Grande Orange Cafe

Servings: 6

Calories: 135kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 jumbo eggs hard cooked
2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 tbs pickle relish
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2-4 tbs mayonnaise
1 slice bacon cooked to crisp and diced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Carefully scoop yolks out of the eggs into a small bowl.
Add the chili powder, mustard, relish garlic powder and salt. Mash well.
Mix in the mayonnaise, starting with the lowest amount. Only add enough so the mixture holds together.
Pipe or spoon equal amounts of the yolk mixture into each egg. Top with diced bacon.

Nutrition

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Deviled Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 00:00:27 +0000

These deviled eggs make the perfect appetizer for any party. Easy to make too.

Classic Deviled Eggs

This is the all-time winner for an appetizer.

The reason for this is easy to understand. Deviled eggs are easy to make, tasty even made the classic way and can be spruced up with interesting flavors!

Mine are pretty basic, but do include a couple of tasty additions, such as two varieties of mustard and some tangy chives. I’ve left options for bacon and a little heat too!

Playing It Safe

Most specialty deviled egg plates have a dozen spaces–that will require six eggs.

However, I always play it safe and make at least 10 hard-cooked eggs if not the entire dozen. My reasoning is that Murphy’s Law will prevail and I will definitely louse up a couple either by accidents removing the shells or uneven cutting.

I don’t mind the rejects as I get a chance to eat some! So I would suggest cooking double the amount of eggs that you plan to serve. If all of them come out perfect, then you’re ahead of the game by having that many more to serve.

Another reason for making more eggs than you need is that you will have more filling. I tend to overfill mine because they look a lot more appetizing since they make a prettier presentation.

Size Matters

If you’re like me, you buy large eggs. They are the most popular size and when they are called for in a recipe, that’s usually the size specified.

But for deviled eggs, I buy jumbo. My reason is that they look better and have more eye appeal. When using jumbo eggs, it becomes more important to make double the amount.

When I made the eggs in my pics, three of the dozen were double yolkers. That’s an automatic reject if you want your finished product to look perfect. If it’s just for family, the not-perfectly-round center isn’t an issue, but for company it’s another story.

The Recipe

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Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs make the perfect appetizer for any party. Easy to make too.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: deviled eggs, eggs

Servings: 24

Calories: 78kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

12 jumbo hard cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs spicy brown mustard
1 tbs dijon mustard
2 tbs finely chopped chives
4 slices crisp-cooked bacon finely diced (optional)
1 tsp salt optional
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes more if you like heat, but optional if you don’t

Instructions

Remove the shells of the eggs carefully. Cut each egg in half.
Carefully scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. A melon baller is good for this, but I find running my finger lightly around the yolk works very well too.
Mix in the remaining ingredients and fill the eggs with about 2 tablespoons of filling—this is approximate. The filling shouldn’t be skimpy!
To fill the centers cleanly, use a pastry bag with a very large (#26 I think) star tip.
If you don’t have tips or pastry bags, place the filling in a zipper freezer bag and cut off a corner (about 1/4-inch opening) and squeeze the yolk mixture into the white portion.
If none are ruined, this will give you 24 deviled eggs.

Nutrition

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Egg Boats (Breakfast for Dinner)

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 23:00:36 +0000

If you like breakfast for dinner, try these easy egg boats. Scrambled eggs cook right in the roll.

Breakfast For Dinner

My late husband and I used to have “breakfast for dinner” one night a week, and even before it became popular.

We never did anything fancy nor unusual. We’d have waffles or pancakes one week, then the next do bacon and eggs with home fries. My husband was no cook–trust me on that–but there were a couple of things he made better than anyone and I cannot duplicate. One of them was his home fries. He showed me countless times, but they never came out as good as his.

Anyway, I have made eggs in rolls for a few years now. My friend Lillian introduced them to me when she posted her recipe to her blog, My Recipe Journey. Originally, I used a whole Italian bread and wondered why it took so long to cook. That’s when Lillian told me to use baguette rolls or sub rolls. DUH. She served these for a family dinner and they were a big hit, and it’s no wonder why.

Eggs Any Way

You can add anything to the basic egg filling.

I chose to make mine like a western omelette, adding sweet bell peppers, bacon and red onion. Get creative with whatever you have in the fridge and use those leftovers because this is the perfect way to do that.

Just as long as you keep to the basic egg/cream formula, you can add just about anything. However, I would include bacon, sausage or ham because this recipe just lends itself to those meats.

The Rolls

While I prefer an oblong roll for something like this, round would work pretty well too.

Just be careful about hollowing it out. You have to leave a pretty substantial “wall” so the egg mixture doesn’t seep out, but not so thick that you can barely get any of the egg mixture inside. About 1/2 inch is a good thickness.

As far as which rolls to use is up to you. I chose to use sandwich/sub rolls, but ones that came pre-packaged from the bread section. Since they are pretty soft to begin with, baking them will crisp them up some, but they won’t get so crisp that they will hurt your gums when you eat them. That’s the main reason I didn’t start out with very crusty rolls from the store’s bakery. They may have gotten too hard and dry and they may have easily fallen apart while trying to hollow them out.

The Recipe

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Egg Boats

If you like breakfast for dinner, try these easy egg boats. Scrambled eggs cook right in the roll.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Everyday Meals, lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon, breakfast, eggs

Servings: 4

Calories: 427kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 sandwich or small sub rolls

FILLING

6 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp each green bell pepper and red bell pepper
2 finely chopped green onions -OR- 2 tbs finely chopped red onion
4 strips crisp-cooked bacon crumbled
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese see NOTES

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
Cut a slit in the center top of each roll. Hollow out, leaving about 1/2-inch for a "wall."
Whisk eggs and cream in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir well to combine.
Divide egg mixture evenly between the rolls.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are just set. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. If you prefer firmer eggs, then you can microwave on high for about 30 seconds after the standing time.

Notes

Swiss cheese, gouda and fontina are good substitutes.

Nutrition

The post Egg Boats (Breakfast for Dinner) appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Mini Fritattas

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Mini Fritattas

Cross between a quiche and a fritatta! Great for a light dinner or grab-and-go breakfast. Make a bunch; they reheat well.

I love quiche and I also love a good fritatta. I was wondering whether I could marry the two so you’d get the reheatability of a quiche along with the hearty, packed-with-goodies taste of a fritatta.

Make an excellent brunch or light dinner

Answer is–you can! I used a higher proportion of eggs to cream, although more cream than a true fritatta would use (it’s really only a puffy baked omelette), it produces a texture somewhere in between an omelette and a custardy quiche.

These have a definite Italian-style flavor since I used my beloved Asiago cheese and Italian sausage–and threw in some diced green/red peppers I had laying around in my freezer–but this can be made with any leftover meat and veggie combination that you can think up. And here’s where canned whole potatoes come in handy–I used those since they’d keep their shape and not get mushy. I diced up regular sausages, but bulk Italian sausage that has been browned can be substituted here. Use any cheese that suits you too.

Reheats well too!

These make a good light supper or brunch served with a green salad, but since they reheat well, they can be popped in the microwave for about a minute and stand in as an on-the-go breakfast or snack.

I tend to use something richer than regular milk in these types of dishes because the taste is richer and they turn out less watery. I didn’t try this with milk (I only use whole milk for cooking) so I cannot state whether they would turn out quite the same. Probably would, but be a tad more moist. However, since I didn’t test this, I can’t recommend it.

Grab-n-go breakfast

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Mini Fritattas

Cross between a quiche and a fritatta! Great for a light dinner or grab-and-go breakfast. Make a bunch; they reheat well.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Appetizers, Breakfast, Brunch, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, lunch

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: fritatas

Servings: 12

Calories: 110kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 tbsp diced green bell pepper
2 tbsp diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced cooked potatoes
1 cup diced cooked Italian sausage
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray or grease a 12-cup regular-sized muffin pan.
In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Beat in the cream. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Spoon into prepared pan, filling cups almost to the top.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until centers are set.
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove fritattas from pan and serve.

Nutrition

Mini Fritattas

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The post Mini Fritattas appeared first on The Midnight Baker.