Tex-Mex Baked Eggs for Breakfast, Brunch or Brinner

Tex-Mex Baked Eggs so easy and so delicious!

Thank God Thanksgiving is over for another year! I don’t know about you, but I look forward to the holiday and work towards the build-up, planning and dashing and cooking and exhausting myself in the bargain. I’m betting you do too.

This year, we had three days of celebrations and that was maybe one day too long, especially in light of surgery just a short 11 weeks ago. By the third celebration, I developed a massive headache that left me feeling sick to my tummy and weak, right at the height of the party, too! Boo sis!!!

In retrospect I should have skipped Saturday to save up for Sunday. But I tried to do it all. Does that sound familiar? We forget limits!

And those three days were food extravaganzas. Even keeping low carb, they are food extravaganzas. We DFSW's (Delicate Flowers of Southern Womanhood), try to be the belle of the ball and burn the candle at both ends. Many of us burn too brightly and develop an acute case of "the vapahs" (that's vapors for those who do not speak Southernese).

So if you are anything like me, by the time Thanksgiving is over and you’ve done the obligatory day-after-Thanksgiving-Tex-Mex-Tour, along with turkey leftovers from A-to-Z, and rich food out the ying yang, you’re ready for simple food.

I mean simple.

Simple.

I’m talking brinner. Breakfast for dinner. Clean. Easy. Low drama. Comfort food.

One of the easiest brinners on the planet is a baked egg. Sure, I know, you gotta love eggs to enjoy this brinner. But gosh, if you DO love eggs as we do in our household, it’s a quick and easy low stress, comforting kinda meal. Break open the soft and creamy yolks and mix them with a bite of melted cheese, ham, and then wait for it…the kick of surprise from the salsa mixed with garlic cilantro butter. YUMMY!

Hurray! Thah crahps ahhhhh sayyyy-uuuuuuvvvvvv-ed.  (Southernese translation: Oh boy)

Say it with me.

I know you’re sayin’ it.

Aren’t you?

Thah crahps ahhhhh sayyyy-uuuuuuvvvvvv-ed.

Your office mates in the cubicle beside you think you’re nuts.

Tex-Mex Baked Eggs works with your favorite
cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack.

Serve Tex-Mex Baked Eggs with a simple green salad of mixed greens, or better yet, just cut up an avocado and call it a meal. If you wanna get fancy whip up a quick caulibrown and be crowned QOK once more (Queen of the Kitchen).

And cheap? This dinner is CHEAP! For two whole baked egg cups you only spend about $1.43-$1.50ish.

Cheap!

Give your tummy a rest! Go on. Just try it, ok? Let me know how much you love this dish!?!

Oh and in this dish, you are being introduced to our handy little friend – Mr. Easy Homemade Salsa. The recipe follows the Tex-Mex Baked Eggs. The boys love and respect Mr. Easy Homemade Salsa so much they call him “senor”. You remember our sock monkey boys don’t you? They want homemade salsa on everything, including their peanut butter and bananas!

I will tell you the truth though, pre-cancer I opened a can and used canned tomatoes in this dish. I had not yet learned about BPA and the hormone disruption it causes. Since I have a hormone positive cancer, I have now been forced to think of BPA, so Fluffy Chix Cook make our salsa REALLY homemade and it’s a bit of a PIA cuz now, I blanch and skin fresh tomatoes for the salsa. The taste is a complete knockout – much better than using canned tomatoes. But. It doesn’t really qualify for “easy” any longer. I still make our own salsa as opposed to buying it though. It’s just that good.

Tex-Mex Baked Eggs

  Cost of full recipe: $2.86

Cost per serving: $1.43 each

Serves: 2      Serving Size: 2 egg cups        Yield: 2 servings

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

Baking Time: 12 Minutes

Start to Finish Time: 22 Minutes

Quick, easy and comforting - who doesn't love that winning combination?

Avocado and Caulibrowns make a yummy
accompaniment to Tex-Mex Baked Eggs.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon cilantro -- chopped finely
• 4 ham slice, extra lean
• 1 tablespoon Easy Salsa
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese -- shredded
• 4 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper -- freshly ground
• ½ tablespoon cilantro
• ¼ cup tomato

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter. Add chopped cilantro. Press one clove garlic into melted butter and cilantro. Divide garlic cilantro butter between 4 ramekins.

If you desire, use prepared salsa or make your own Easy Fresh Salsa in minutes!

Line each ramekin with a thin slice of ham. Top with 1/2 ounce of sliced or grated cheese such as Cheddar or Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack and 1 tablespoon of salsa.

Break egg into each ramekin. Be careful. Don't crack the yolk! Use any flavor of cheese you prefer. Pepper Jack is AWESOME!

Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Set ramekins on foil lined baking sheet and bake until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 12-15 minutes.

You can remove Tex-Mex Baked Eggs from ramekins and serve piping hot.

Garnish with cilantro and optional chopped tomato. Nutrition totals reflect the additional garnish.

Per Serving: 426 Calories; 31g Fat (66.4% calories from fat); 31g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 0.5g Dietary Fiber; 504mg Cholesterol; 1257mg Sodium; 3.5g Net Carbs.

Serving Ideas: Serve with fresh avocado and Cauliflower or Zucchini Hash. An simple green salad with House Vinaigrette or Creamy Jalapeno Ranch is awesome too.

SUSIE T’s NOTES:

Sigh. You must be getting pretty bored with my 4 forks here and 4 forks there.
It’s true though. I am not sure if I’d post it if it didn’t pass the threshold with a 3 fork minimum. In fact, I should say that on the blog. All recipes have a 3fork minimum.

Make these. Please? They’re quick and easy. Morph them many ways! Go French or Swiss on their shiny yellow centers with Gruyere and green onions and call it Baked Ham and Swiss Eggs! Ha! Go Italian and add basil and red onion. Go Greek with Feta and Mint! Yum. Possibilities seem endless.

Feel free to swap out the meat and cheeses. It’s a very versatile recipe! Sausage makes a yummy liner as does pepperoni and dry salami.

Easy Fresh Salsa

  Cost of full recipe: $2.14

Cost per serving: $0.14 each

Serves: 16  Serving Size: 1/4 cup      Yield: 4 cups
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Baking Time: 0
Start to Finish Time: 10 Minutes

Easy and fresh! This salsa takes seconds to make in a blender or food processor and lasts for up to a week in the fridge. It's delicious fresh or even as a cooked base for many recipes.

Easy Fresh Salsa tastes better than salsa from a jar - move
over Pace!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces onion
• 2 jalapeno chile peppers
• 28 ounces whole tomatoes -- canned (or 6-7 fresh Roma tomatoes, skinned and cored)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Cut onion and jalapeno into large chunks. Peel garlic cloves.

Place everything into the bowl of a strong blender or food processor fitted with a knife blade. We use a Ninja for this job.

Add the tomatoes with their juice.

Blend until chopped to your desired consistency. We like our salsa smooth.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Per Serving: 30 Calories; 2g Fat (51.4% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 3.38g Carbohydrate; 0.75g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium; 2.63g Net Carbs

Serving Ideas: Serve on everything...even if it isn't Tex-Mex!

SUSIE T’s NOTES:

This is a staple in a Tex-Mex household. Don't ever buy salsa in a jar again. We'll make fun of you.

You can easily cut this recipe in half to make a half recipe. It keeps for a week in the fridge. Eat it on everything.

Everything.

There I said it.