Mexican Eggs

These baked eggs are a cross between shakshuka and a Mexican breakfast skillet, portioned into individual baking dishes for an easy, elegant brunch. Sauteed mushrooms and green pepper get mixed with drained tomatoes and crumbled bacon, then an egg is cracked on top of each dish and the whole thing bakes until the whites are set.

The individual dish format is what makes this special. Each person gets their own perfectly baked egg sitting on a bed of vegetables and bacon. No scooping from a communal pan, no broken yolks, no uneven portions.

Sauteeing the mushrooms and pepper until lightly browned before assembling builds flavor that raw vegetables in a bake can’t match. That browning adds a savory depth to the tomato and bacon base that would be missing if everything went in raw.

Chef Tips

• Drain the canned tomatoes well. Excess liquid makes the egg base watery and the whites take longer to set. A good squeeze in a strainer gets rid of the extra juice.
• Create a small well in the vegetable mixture before cracking the egg in. This keeps the egg centered and prevents the white from running to the edges where it overcooks.
• Watch for set whites, runny yolks at around 18 to 20 minutes. If you prefer fully set yolks, give them another 3 to 5 minutes.

Variations

• Chorizo swap: Replace the bacon with cooked crumbled Mexican chorizo for a spicier, more authentically Mexican flavor.
• Cheese finish: Sprinkle shredded pepper jack or queso fresco over the top during the last 2 minutes of baking for a melted cheese layer.