Delicious baked eggs in a nest of Yukon Gold Potatoes, with a layer of candied bacon and melted cheese…what’s not to love?
Last week, I had a very unexpected surprise sent to me via an Email from Foodbuzz. Last February, I redeemed a coupon for a dozen eggs from Eggland’s Best Eggs, that was sent to me as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. I was delighted, because I love their eggs. Truthfully, I do pay a little extra when it comes to buying eggs. I really can taste the difference as compared to commercially inexpensive eggs. I decided to make Eggs in Purgatory, which turned out to be healthy and delicious.
I uploaded the photos of my dish onto Eggland’s Best’s Foodbuzz Web page, and that was that.
Three months later, the email said that I won the Grand Prize from Eggland’s Best! I’ve finally been given the green light to announce this, since it’s now posted. What did I win? I’ll tell you, after I share with you another egg recipe that I made with– what else– Eggland’s Eggs. I was inspired to make this while channel surfing, and I caught a Food Network show that I rarely watch (not enough time in the day). The show is called “Cooking for Real” and I decided to improvise a bit. ‘Nuff said, let me just show you:
Instead of using Prosciutto, I decided to make Candied Bacon. My family is very happy (and greedy) when I make this. If you’ve never tried this technique, you will thank me if you do. The saltiness of the bacon, with a brown sugar glaze coating… even I– the not-so-wild-about-bacon-person has a hard time resisting these. It takes about 25 minutes to make these, so I started these in the oven, first. Once they were finished, I let them cool a bit, and chopped them…
Make extra. Trust me. I had to fend off hungry hands from snatching these!
I love Yukon Gold Potatoes. You can use Russetts, but unpeeled Yukon Golds are my choice. Using my food processor, these were quickly grated. Squeeze all of the extra moisture with a towel (I like to use my potato ricer…it works great! I grated a few too many taters, so I stored them in the fridge in some water. It works great! I decided to go for extra-virgin olive oil, rather than melted butter and I added salt & pepper, to taste. Give it all a toss and now…you need a giant muffin tray, or you can use oven-proof ramekins.
Spray the muffin tin lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Press the grated potatoes evenly into the muffin cups being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Eggs in Baskets with Candied Bacon
Equipment
- Special equipment: jumbo sized 6-cup muffin tin (or six small oven-proof ramekins)
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes or Russets, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 6 slices prosciutto about 2 1/2 ounces, chopped
- 6 slices candied bacon optional to using Prosiutto (recipe in instructions); if using candied bacon, make this before baking the eggs:
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 cup shredded provolone I used Swiss & Gruyere
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor fitted with the grater attachment, push chunks of the potato through the chute to grate. Once all the potatoes are grated, put them into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the moisture. NOTE: I use my potato ricer, and that works great.
- Add the potatoes to a large bowl, stir in the olive oil (or you can use melted butter) and season well with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spray the muffin tin (or ramekins) lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Press the grated potatoes evenly into the muffin cups being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.
For the Candied Bacon (make ahead of time):
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet (don’t skip this step, or the bacon will turn out soggy and unevenly cooked).
- NOTE: you can use a broiling pan, but cleanup is much harder.
- Spread some brown sugar on a plate, and press each slice of bacon to coat evenly. Lay out each bacon slice, evenly, on the baking/cooling rack. Bake for about 10 minutes; remove from the oven and turn over with tongs.
- Lower the temperature to 350°F and don’t wander off– as the fat is rendered and the brown sugar caramelizes, the tray can begin to smoke and you could burn the bacon!
- Bake for about 5 -10 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon.
- Remove from the oven, and be careful. It’s very hot! Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes and then enjoy. Once these are cooled enough to handle, cut into small pieces– make extra, because you’ll want to eat it all!
If using maple prosciutto variation:
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss together the prosciutto with maple syrup and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
The eggs:
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the eggs with grated cheese and put the candied bacon (or maple prosciutto on another sheet tray). Broil both until cheese melts, and prosciutto crisps slightly, about 1 minute.
- Top the eggs with crispy bacon (or maple prosciutto) and serve immediately.Edit my recipe
Notes
Congratulations!!! I'm so happy for you and I can see why you won. That is a terrific dish.
We're shopping around for chickens and hope to start raising our own this summer. I'll let you know how they taste compared to Eggland's best.
Enjoy the spa!!!
That is so awesome Debby! You deserve some the recognition and some peaceful time for yourself. Enjoy it my friend!
And eggs for a year- double awesome! I love me some eggs 🙂
oh runny yolks. mmm!
Congratulations, Debby – what a beautiful job! The baskets are lovely – a work of culinary art!
Congratulations and it is well deserved. Your eegg dish looks wonderful. No one will miss this meal!!! Enjoy the spa. A fine reward after a busy school year.
wow! how beautiful!! I can't wait to try…. and a huge congratulations for winning. You deserve it!! Enjoy your prize! I am jealous 🙂
First of all, congratulations!!! This dish looks absolutely amazing and the bacon, so crispy…
My mouth is watering right now…
XXXX
Lia.
OMG – I am hungering for that egg dish – it looks fantabulous. No wonder you won – Congratulations.
Congratulations Deb!!!! How great is that?
My eggs in a basket are my popular post ever on stumbleupon, it gets over 300 hits per day!
People love eggs in a muffin tins, and your potato baskets make them special (and that beautiful candied bacon!).
You deserve the spa day! enjoy it!
Stace
Oh you know how to get my goat in the morning! I have never made this, nor seen such a pretty presentation!
Love runny eggs and toasty hash browns, love it…
Congratulations that is so very exciting! I will definetly be trying out your eggs in a basket. My family loves breakfast!
Congrats, Debby!
~ingrid
I would have been happy to win just their free eggs for a year, let alone the spa day. I use their eggs all the time too.
These eggs in baskets look fabulous and the candied bacon, perfect.
How exciting to have won and now to be pampered!!!Congratulations!!!Thanks for sharing both of these delicious egg dishes:D
Wow!!! How awesome for you-spa treatments!!! The eggs in a basket look so delicious-I'm printing it:)
How exciting! Congratulations! Eggs in purgatory is a marvelous dish. I love the idea of candied bacon too!
That recipe deserved to win, it's so unique and YUMMY!! Keep up the great cooking and I'm sure you'll continue to win many more competitions 🙂
Congrats babe! This is such awesome news! you'd better do a whole bunch of baking with all those eggs…meringues, puddings..the works!
These eggs in a basket look fantastic. I lvoe the sound of candied bacon!
Congratulations. You deserve it and I hope you enjoy your time at the spa. Those eggs in a basket are the cutest things I've ever seen. You made them sound so easy too. I didn't know eggs could look so glamorous.
Sam
Congratulations! I can see why you won these eggs in a basket look awesome…With candied bacon too, amazing.
Enjoy your spa day. Much deserved.
You used to be an esthetician?? You're one talented chica! Congrats on the grand prize … u deserve it .. pampering n all! Eggs look scrumptious .. must make soon 🙂
Congratulations , Debby. A Spa day sounds so wonderful and luxurious. And eggs for a year…Fantastic!
I can't wait to try this recipe with the candied bacon topper. Just printed it!
Congratulations! You deserve it. You make beautiful and tasty food. The dish looks amazing and I look forward to making it soon.
Congrats on your win!
The eggs in their little potato nests look wonderful. My husband would appreciate that.
Congratulations! With egg dishes like this, you should be their spokesperson! What an amazing egg dish!
Congratulations Debby. Your eggs look TDF. I will try to make them this weekend as I have all the ingredients on hand. But I'll be using the free range eggs from my CSA box. Whenever I don't get those, I choose Eggland's Best, too.
Congratulations! I'm into the egg dishes lately. This looks delicious. Those yolks look yummy. Beautiful job.
I can't wait to try this one! Congratulations for this dish! It really looks so lovely.
Congratulations! That is awesome and well-deserved. Think of all the relaxing spa fun you are going to have. Love the eggs in baskets idea and that candied bacon looks scrumptious! 😉
Congratulations on your win :-). Those baskets are a real delight and the finished product is just beautiful. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
Way too cute!!
Eggs are fantastic.
Congratulations on the big win. the eggs look wonderful, and I'm particularly drooling over the eggs in a basket – awesome!
Congrats! This is so cool and the prize is perfect! I'd love to be able to spend $500 at a spa 🙂
Congratulations! The egg recipe looks fabulous and what can be bad about candied bacon!
Congratulations on you win Debby. I have made something similar for guests, but I love the addition of candied bacon.