Baked Eggs in Tomato or Ham Cups

A friend of mine had posted a picture on Instagram of what looked like an egg in a cupcake wrapper made out of ham – so beautiful and delicious looking! And then I found this recipe for a tomato version of practically the same thing on (where else) Gojee c/o Buttered Up. A perfect brunch dish with options for vegetarians and meat eaters! And so delicious and impressive looking.

We started by sautéing mushrooms with butter and thyme and putting them in the bottom of either hollowed out tomatoes or black forrest ham (double layered) in muffin tins. Then we sprinkled in gruyere and added an egg on top. We baked them at 400*f for (actually too long – don’t wait for the white to be solid, just set! We ended up with cooked-through yolks!) and then sprinkled on some pecorino romano and salt and pepper, let that melt, and voila!

The possibilities for variations on this are insane! You can put anything in the bottom – sautéed spinach or other veggies. You can use any cheese or sauce or just skip it, and put any herbs and spices throughout and on top. Also you could probably do it in other veggies or meats like half-peppers or bacon – yum.