Portuguese Baked Eggs

In my last post, I told you about one of the new perks to my new work schedule: our CSA membership. Well, not to be too repetitive, but this post is about another perk: brunch. I l.o.v.e. breakfast and brunch. What amazing ways to start the day, especially if they involve a gathering of friends and family. There's not much in this world that's more comforting than a nice cup of coffee and some yummy breakfast food shared with your loved ones.

When I was working evenings, my husband's aunt and uncle had us over for brunch a few times. I would drag myself out of bed and stumble through their door, bleary eyed and asking for a cup of coffee, much like a zombie requests brains. Needless to say, we didn't reciprocate their hospitality as we should have. But now I finally have the chance, and I was so excited to do so. Aunt B always pulls out all the stops when she entertains; you can tell it's a passion of hers. Seriously, you should have seen the bridal shower she threw for me. Amazing. I miiight be sucking up a little bit right now. Anyway, I know I'll never get to her Entertaining Level: Expert, so I wanted to focus on serving them something delicious, nutritious, and relatively simple. Enter: Bon Appetit's Portuguese Baked Eggs. I decided to skip the typical syrupy sweet breakfast fare and go for something savory and satisfying. I love an opportunity to get a nice big helping of veggies first thing in the morning. Plus I could do most of the work the night before, which made for a smooth morning.

My attempts have not looked nearly as lovely as Bon Appetit's (duh). Once you plate this dish, you basically end up with ricotta cheese and egg yolk mixing in with the herby bell peppers and tomatoes, which results in an umami explosion in your mouth. This combination of flavors is really something special. I served this dish with farmers market country loaf (sliced and toasted), my great-grandma's homemade jam, fruit salad, and mimosas -- truly entertaining made easy.

One great feature of this dish is that you can actually make the base ahead of time. This first portion can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator for a day or two, then you can continue with the cheese/egg steps when you are ready to serve. Either way, your first step is to slice up your bell peppers and onion while your pan is preheating.

I've found that they don't need a ton of babysitting, so to save time, feel free to put them on the stove to cook while you're completing your next step. Just remember to stir them occasionally.

Next, chop and slice your tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, and herbs, and measure out your spices. Add them all to the pan once the bell peppers and onion are just beginning to brown. Reduce the heat, and let everything simmer and soften and meld together. Again, this step doesn't need much attention, so you should have time to do dishes, set the table, etc. while this is happening. Once all the veggies are very soft and the liquid is mostly gone, remove your jalapeno slices and season the mix with salt and pepper. [If you are preparing this base ahead of time, store the veggie mixture in a microwave-safe container in the fridge for a day or two. Once you are ready to serve, stick the container in the microwave for a few minutes, until the mixture is warm, and continue on from here.]

Pour the veggies into a 13x9" casserole dish, forming an even layer. Create six divots in the mixture with the back of a spoon. Add a spoonful of ricotta to each, then top off with an egg. I highly recommend cracking your egg into a small bowl first, just in case it's bad or you get shell in it. The whites will start to cook, due to the heat of the base, but this is ok. Sprinkle cheddar and Parmesan on each egg, and top off with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until the egg whites are set. If you prefer runny yolks, take the dish out and serve immediately. The yolks will continue to cook with another minute or two in the oven, or as the dish sits undisturbed outside the oven. Serve with bread or toast to soak up all the savory juices that will be left behind. Yum!

**Note: This recipe can be cut in half and baked in an 8x8" casserole dish, with three or four eggs.
**Another note: Not just for breakfast/brunch, this dish makes a great light dinner as well.
**One more note: I put my slices of bread on a small cookie sheet and toast them in the oven as the dish is baking, flipping and turning about a quarter of the way through, and removing when done to my liking.

Make it work for you

This recipe is super flexible and can work for anyone, since the majority of hands-on work can be done ahead of time. I actually prepared the veggie mixture the night before brunch, while my Scallops with Creamy Braised Leeks were in the slow cooker for dinner. The stove top portion doesn't require constant stirring, so you're free to get started on dishes, cleaning the kitchen, etc., saving you time once it's done. And if you do serve this dish to guests, it looks like you really slaved away all morning, which makes everything taste just a little bit better in my opinion.

Portuguese Baked Eggs
From Bon Appetit

1/4 cup olive oil
3 bell peppers, any color, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, with seeds, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta
6 large eggs
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar (about 4 oz.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 1 oz.)
Toasted country-style bread (for serving)

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes.

Add tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, basil, oregano, chili powder, and paprika to pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and liquid is thickened, 20-30 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Discard jalapeno.

Preheat oven to 400°. Transfer bell pepper mixture to a 13x9" baking dish. Using the back of a spoon, make 6 evenly spaced divots in mixture. Spoon a dollop of ricotta into each divot, then crack 1 egg into each. Top with cheddar and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Bake, rotating dish halfway through until Parmesan is melted and egg whites are almost set but yolks are still runny, 15-18 minutes.

Serve baked eggs with toast. (Yolks will continue to cook as dish sits, so serve right away if you prefer your eggs soft).

Do Ahead: Bell pepper mixture can be cooked 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

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