Sometimes you want something a little fancy for breakfast, and if it includes cream and a little cheese even better. So I made these individual Baked Eggs Florentines. This dish has everything - something healthy, something creamy, something crunchy, and something cheesy. Read on to learn how to make these easy and tasty breakfast treat.
How to Make the Creamy Spinach
The basis of these Baked Eggs Florentine is the creamy spinach. This part of breakfast has 6 ingredients:
- Baby Spinach
- Shallots
- Lemon Zest
- Garlic
- Ground Nutmeg
- Heavy Cream
The combination of all these ingredient makes a very tasty creamy spinach.
Start off my sauteeing the shallots. After 5 minutes add the chopped garlic and sautee for another one minute. When the garlic is fragrant scrape the shallots and the garlic into a small bowl. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add half the spinach. Add the spinach in two batches which will make it easier to turn as it cooks.
When the spinach is completely wilted, add the reserved shallot-garlic mixture and lemon zest. Continue to cook until the liquid from the spinach has evaporated. Add the cream and increase heat to medium to cook the cream until is slightly thickened. Add three tablespoons of grated Romano cheese and stir. The spinach filling is now finished. Remove the pan from the heat.
How to Assemble the Eggs Florentine
When the spinach is done evenly divide it between the four buttered ramekins. Add the eggs to the ramekin, by first cracking it into a small bowl and then gently tip the bowl and add the egg to the ramekin. Once all the ramekins are done place them on a sheet tray and bake until the eggs are medium. This means that the yolks will still be slightly soft, but not very runny. If you want you eggs over easy, bake for about half the time.
Can I Use a Different Cheese
I used pecorino in this dish because I love the taste and the saltiness of the cheese. But if you have a favorite cheese, that's also a good melting cheese definitely use that. I think parmesan, gruyere and fontina would all be really good in this dish.
Can I Make Eggs Florentine without Dairy
Yes, you can easily make this dish without dairy. Omit the cream and cheese from the sauteed spinach. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil at the end of cooking the spinach so it doesn't dry out while baking in the oven.
Garnishing the Baked Eggs
When the eggs and spinach are finished baking top them with some of the following garnishes:
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Fried shallots - get the recipe at America's Test Kitchen
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese or your favorite cheese
- Salsa
The dish is best served warm. I think you will really enjoy this tasty eggs floretine dish. It's great for breakfast or lunch and baking it makes it easy to prepare for a large group.
Please let me know if you make this dish by leaving me a note or tagging me on Instagram @bakesbybrownsugar. I can't wait to see your version of this dish.
Eggs Florentine
Ingredients
Main Egg Dish
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 small onion or large shallot chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 12 ounces baby spinach
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Fried shallots
- Pecorino Romano
Instructions
- Butter 4 8-ounce ramekins. Set them on a 1/4 or 1/2 sheet baking tray. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add the olive oil to a non-stick saute pan and heat on medium high heat. Add the chopped shallots, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the chopped garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Garlic should be fragrant. Scrape the onions and garlic into a small bowl.
- Return the heat to medium high, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Wait for the oil to heat up and then add the spinach in two bunches, waiting for the first batch to wilt slightly before adding the second bunch. Sprinkle the spinach with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the ground nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the spinach, stirring frequently, until the liquid is evaporated.
- Add the onions and garlic to the spinach, stir to combine. Zest the lemon directly onto the spinach, stir to combine.
- Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and cook on medium heat until the cream starts to thicken and bubbles around the edge. Remove the pan from the heat and 3 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Stir to combine.
- Divide the spinach between the four ramekins. Crack an egg into a small prep bowl and then pour it on top one of the spinach filled ramekins. Repeat with the remaining 3 ramekins.
- Place the ramekins in the oven and bake until the eggs are medium and the egg whites are opaque, 12-15 minutes.
- Remove the baked eggs from the oven, top with garnishes and serve immediately.
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