Breakfast bake with egg and ham Recipe
This is a breakfast-style bake – something between scrambled eggs, a sandwich, and a mini omelette on a slice of bread. In Polish homes it’s perfect for weekends, when there’s a bit more time and everyone feels like a warm, filling breakfast. It’s a bit like the French “croque madame”, but in a much simpler, oven-baked form.
This breakfast bake tastes like a cross between scrambled eggs and a ham-and-cheese sandwich, but everything happens on one crispy oven-baked slice. It’s a great answer to lazy Polish weekend mornings, when everyone is wandering around the kitchen wanting a warm, hearty breakfast without standing over a frying pan. It pleasantly nods to the French croque madame, but in a much simpler and more homely version.
Chef's tips
Make sure the eggs are well beaten with the milk – the mixture should be perfectly smooth so it sets evenly and doesn’t turn into a “patchy omelette”. If you’re using very soft toast bread, lightly toast it first for 3–4 minutes so it doesn’t get soggy under the egg. Don’t worry if some egg runs onto the paper – after baking it’s easy to peel off and… eat as the cook’s little kitchen snack.
How to serve
Serve immediately after taking out of the oven, with a mug of strong coffee with milk or tea with lemon – it’s the perfect set for a Saturday breakfast after a lie-in. It tastes great with a simple tomato and cucumber salad or a handful of rocket drizzled with olive oil. At my place this bake most often lands on the table when friends come over for a shared, late brunch.
Ingredients
- toast bread or other light sliced bread - 8 slices
- eggs size M or L - 4 pieces
- ham in slices - 120 g
- yellow cheese in slices or grated - 120 g
- milk for the eggs - 50 ml
- butter for spreading on the bread - 20 g
- chives chopped - 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Lightly spread one side of each slice of bread with butter and place on the tray, buttered side down.
- Put a slice of ham on each slice of bread so that it more or less covers the whole surface.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk, a pinch of salt and pepper. Beat thoroughly with a fork or whisk until the mixture is uniform.
- Pour 2–3 tablespoons of the egg mixture onto each slice of bread, so that the egg doesn’t run completely off the bread. If a little runs onto the paper, that’s fine – it will be easy to peel off after baking.
- Place a slice of cheese on top or sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Put the tray in the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the egg is set (the centre is no longer runny) and the cheese has melted and is lightly golden.
- After removing from the oven, sprinkle the bakes with chopped chives and serve immediately.
Storage
Best served fresh from the oven. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat briefly in the oven or in a dry frying pan so the bread stays relatively crisp.
