There are a few things that I love in a recipe. First, it can be made in one pan, minimizing cleanup. Second, it can be finished in the oven – it gives me a few extra minutes for last minute details without worrying about something overcooking on the stove. Third, I can easily substitute ingredients if necessary. I love trying to find ways to use what I have on-hand rather than running to the grocery store for last minute ingredients.
This brunch recipe was inspired by Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms from Bon Appetit Magazine. I was out of spinach and mushrooms, but had some swiss chard in my crisper and a bunch of onions. The original recipe was a little fussy. The spinach needed to be cooked in water, then drained and squeezed dry. I simplified it by covering the pan to wilt the greens; since extra water was not added, I didn’t need to drain the chard. I also cut down on the fat in the recipe, using only one tablespoon of butter and substituting half and half for the cream.
Once the vegetables are cooked, you can turn off the heat and let them sit on the stove until you are ready for breakfast (advance prep opportunity– another reason to love this recipe). You can try this with different combinations of greens and vegetables – spinach and onion or chard and diced tomatoes. You can also use another cheese - try crumbled blue or shredded swiss. Simple and delicious!
Baked Eggs with Swiss Chard and Onions - Serves 4
- ½ bunch swiss chard
- 1 small onion, halved, then sliced thinly
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 2-4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan. I used my microplane to shred the cheese, so it was light and fluffy.
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Remove tough end of each chard stalk. Slice chard leaves into thin ribbons, about ¼ to ½ inch.
Melt butter in a 10-12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add swiss chard ribbons. Cover skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so to combine chard and onions. After 5 minutes, the chard should be wilted and tender. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add half and half. Stir to combine. At this point, you can turn off the heat, cover the mixture and wait to cook the eggs for 1-2 hours. Bring the mixture to a simmer before continuing.
Using the back of your spoon, make 4 large indentations in vegetable mixture. Break an egg into each indentation. Use cold eggs; they will stay together better than room temperature eggs.
Bake, uncovered, until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, 7 to 10 minutes. At 7 minutes, my eggs were clearly under cooked – the whites were still translucent and the yolks were liquid – but at 10 minutes the yolks were almost completely cooked. If you are looking for runny yolks, try at 8-9 minutes. Lightly season eggs with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with cheese. The heat from the eggs will melt the cheese. Serve.
