The internet is full of big, amazing people. People whose cakes are frosted perfectly, people whose children don’t spill yogurt down the front of their shirt at lunch, people who stroll around the city and don’t even care that their suede shoes are getting ruined in the puddles because it’s not a big deal to buy another pair. We are not those people. There’s something in the air lately–real life, real blogging, real talk, real food. I like that. Especially because I don’t stand a chance of ever being one of those big, amazing types. Our life is messy, hopelessly real, and very far from perfect.
And, I’m pretty cool with that. Around here, in this imperfect apartment of ours, change is happening. We’re getting closer to what’s next for us, to what we want next, and it feels great. What is it that we want? Less. Less cool, less big, less perfect, less busy, less stuff. We want the little things back. Laid back family dinners. Acting silly. Dates (Brian and I haven’t been on one since SEPTEMBER. How did that happen?). Closing the computer and living life. Less worrying about the small stuff, less hassle about the big stuff. These are our goals. We’re proceeding with hope and our fingers crossed for really good things ahead.
Speaking of really good things, I’m heading to Costa Rica this weekend for a trip with the Rainforest Alliance. We’ll be touring Rainforest Alliance Certified sustainable farms, and I can’t wait to get there. I’m not sure how connected I’ll be, but I’m planning to Instagram the heck out of the trip, so follow along if you’d like. And stay tuned for the full run-down once I’m back. I feel so lucky to have this crazy awesome opportunity. And maybe I’ll befriend a sloth? Here’s hoping.
Now for the eggs. I went to the kitchen to make a honey cake or goat cheese ice cream or something fancy, but I was starving and it seemed strange to make a cake when what I really needed was a meal. So after some poking around in the fridge, inspiration struck: baked eggs. My version is buttery, with bright, runny yolks and a little cream. The addition of garlic, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms adds a little nuttiness and lots of flavor. The eggs are topped with a bit of Gruyere, which is spectacular, obviously. These baked eggs are a great dish for the transition to spring, and could accommodate green garlic, chives, spring onions, and tender greens beautifully.
- 1 tablespoon butter divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms wiped clean, stems removed, and sliced
- 1 cup Brussels sprouts bottoms trimmed and sliced thin
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- several twists of fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons Gruyere grated or sliced thin
-
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
-
Heat half the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot, and sauté 1 minute. Next, add mushrooms, sprouts, and a good sprinkle of sea salt; sauté, stirring a bit, for about 4 minutes. The mushrooms and sprouts should be soft and will have released a bit of their water.
-
Place the remaining butter in a small 6 inch ramekin or baking dish, and set in the oven until butter is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven.
-
Swirl melted butter in ramekin, and then spoon in sautéed vegetables. Drizzle in cream and crack eggs into the dish. Top off with a pinch of sea salt and a twist or two of pepper.
-
Place in oven and bake 5 minutes. Working quickly, pull ramekin, and add cheese to the top. Return to oven and cook for 1 - 2 minutes more, or until the whites are just set. Keep in mind that the eggs will continue to cook a bit once out of the oven. Pull, and set aside to cool for a minute or two, and serve.
Elizabeth this is stunning!
Thanks so much Paula! That’s quite a compliment from a great photographer like you.
oooh this looks beautiful (sorry, minus the mushrooms part, i can’t handle those sadly) but brussels and eggs are two of my faves!! and i love your goals. i love unplugging. i got to bed at 10:30 last night because i forced myself to unplug at 9, it was fantastic. good luck on your trip!! have an awesome time!!
Hi Molly, Sadly, I need to work on my pre-bed discipline with devices, but I really love the idea of setting a cutoff time. Going to start working toward that promptly. And thanks for the nice wishes about my trip– I’m really thrilled to be going.
I love baked eggs and especially with mushrooms. This is one I’ll definitely have to try!
Thanks Becky! And thanks so much for including us in your March seasonal food guide–that’s such a great resource.
Whoa…baked eggs, mushrooms and Brussels sprouts! Making this!
Yes! Meri, please let me know if you do. They should be a staple of eating in our house, but I always forget about them.
This looks incredible, I can’t wait to try it out!
Just added you to the ‘inspiration’ page on my blog.. you have too many delicious looking things that I want to try!
Hi Julia, You are so nice to say that, and I’m so glad to hear you’ve found a few recipes that you like. Thanks!
I’ve seen a lot of baked egg dishes in restaurants lately. I am excited to try this one at home! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Reeva, These are right up your ally methinks. Thanks for commenting.
Yes. Yes to more mess, to shutting the computer, and heading to Costa Rica! I actually adore Costa Rica and have been plotting a way to get back. Be sure to get a big plate of Gallo Pinto for me while you are there! (and this egg bake looks divine- I do love brussels sprouts and eggs together!)
Hi Erin, I am really excited about the trip. Leaving tomorrow, gulp. And thanks for the support. I love the real talk on your blog, and am so excited to see your next chapter in CA.
longtime reader/lurker here – i work for Rainforest Alliance and was pleasantly surprised to see you’re going on our upcoming press trip. i got to costa rica last year with work to visit some RA cert farms. i think you will have an awesome time and learn a lot! enjoy it.
Hi Julia, I just said to Brian, “Hey, we have a longtime reader!” So that made me happy. And what a great coincidence! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be going on the trip, and am really looking forward to checking out farming practices there, and learning more. Thanks so much for commenting!
What a beautiful egg casserole! How nice that your goals involve real living, not a superficial, just-for-show way of life so common these days. Congratulations on your trip to Costa Rica, too!
Hi Vespa Woolf, thanks for support, and the well wishes for my trip! Looking forward to sharing it here in a week.
I love that post from Happy Yolks. It resonated with me so much. And I’m happy to hear that others are feeling similarly. This bake sounds so warm and comforting–the perfect dinner or breakfast or anytime really! Have a great time on your trip!
Hi Natasha, Me too! Kelsey is an incredibly talented writer. And glad you like the eggs–we had them for breakfast again yesterday and they were great.
Such a tasty recipe! Love the use of crimini mushrooms in this dish- they add much wonderful flavour!! Thanks for sharing…
-Shannon
Thanks! We love mushrooms––they always help to get us through the spring.
This baked eggs with brussels sprouts and mushrooms looks amazing. It looks perfect to me! In fact, you just gave me a great weeknight meal idea. Must try this one soon. Thanks for sharing & have a great week!
Thanks Betty Ann! I love these baked eggs for an easy, filling weeknight meal–good thinking.
I’ve been a bit crazy lately so I haven’t had much time for blog browsing, but late last night I had a bout of insomnia and caught up on all of your posts that I missed. Without sounding too much like a nerdy fangirl, I feel like I have to say how very much I admire you. Your writing, your unfussy photographs, your gorgeous-yet-completely-approachable food… just… everything.
So thank you so very much for brighting up my dark night, and for a baked egg fan like myself, this dish is most definitely going into high rotation.
Sara, You have the BEST reasons for falling behind on blog browsing. Congratulations on all of your recent success! It’s been such a pleasure to follow along as the accolades pile up. It is SO well-deserved.
And I can’t thank you enough for your kind words. It can be hard to keep being ourselves in this seemingly-perfect food blog world. We always strive for our food to be relatable, and it means a lot to me that it is for you! (And yeah, eggs! My heart goes pitter pat when I spy the first bright orange yolk of the season.)
Had to respond….sounds like you are sooo on the right track.
Enjoy Costa Rica.
Thanks for commenting Debbie! I’m glad you think so. I’m feeling really great about my new path.
Trying it tomorrow night. But with asparagus, I think. Mostly cause I’m crazy about asparagus.
Making this right now. Wondering if there is a version done in a casserole dish for 2 to 3 servings? Can’t wait ti eat this for lunch.
Bello! This recipe sounds really interesting and inviting! Thank you for the idea, I’m gonna cook it for my family this weekend. The only thing I wanted to know is: heavy cream… Can I replace it with milk? You added one tbsp… What is for such a little quantity? Thank you!
Hi Greta, The cream adds a little richness and smoother texture to the eggs, but I think a splash of milk will work just fine.
So many things about finding this post feel kismet about finding this post a year after it was written.
In addition to simply loving what you wrote (because my husband and I just decided yesterday to make similar changes) I have a handful of left over mushrooms and brussels in the fridge. Thanks
So much!!
Made these tonight – the children were not totally impressed but the husband and I loved it! Question though, in the picture your eggs are on top of the veggies but the recipe calls for the opposite. Thoughts?
Hi Laura, Sorry about the kids, but really glad you liked it! That’s a good point about the vegetables. I’ll change the language to note that the eggs should go on top. Appreciate the feedback!