Shirred Eggs with Bacon

Shirred eggs with bacon sound fancy, but really they’re just oven-baked eggs with some sort of creamy-cheesy topping. And because they’re so very easy to make, especially for company, they are just the sort of dish that every home cook should have in his or her repertoire. I thought of them this morning as I surveyed my high-protein, low-carb breakfast options. Wintertime is my time to pare down and reset my eating habits and cutting out sugar and flour for a few weeks is the best way I’ve found. We ran a great recipe for shirred eggs back in 2003, during my first tenure at Yankee. It’s a gem. You line muffin cups with thin slices of ham and then fill them with eggs, cream, Parmesan, lemon zest, chive, and seasonings. Bake at 325˚ for 12 to 15 minutes and voila! Brunch is served. Today, I tried a variation of shirred eggs, alternately lining the muffin cups with bacon (the ultimate low-carb treat) and low-fat turkey slices. I didn’t use a recipe. Really, you just put a piece of meat, an egg, and about 2 teaspoons of cream and cheese in each. Sprinkle some pepper and herbs and you’re done. I added eggs. A bit of cream, some black pepper,  and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Finally, some fresh parsley and thyme. After 15 minutes in the oven, they were done. Let the cups cool for 10 minutes and they’ll easily pop out of the cups. This version of shirred eggs with bacon was delicious and it will provide me with an easy breakfast for several more days. In retrospect, I should’ve pre-cooked the bacon first—just until lightly golden at the edges—so that it could crisp up more in the oven. Next time. Meanwhile, I encourage you to try out your own shirred egg combinations. Let me know what you come up with!