Weekend Breakfasts: Caramelized Onions and Ham Breakfast Bakes
by
AndiatBettyCrocker
6/28/2011 2:10:00 PM
On the weekends, many of us have time to enjoy leisurely breakfasts. And, you may even get to enjoy these breakfasts with friends or family members.
Caramelized Onions and Ham Breakfast Bakes
Last weekend we celebrated our grandson’s first birthday at our cabin in northern Wisconsin. Since I knew I’d be up early with Finn and Blake, I decided to make individual egg casseroles with caramelized onions. You certainly don’t have to get up early to make them, but you do need at least 30 minutes to caramelize the onions before you start layering ingredients into the casseroles.
I was inspired to use caramelized onions in an egg bake after reading a blog post, written by Molly, a friend’s niece. Her recipe, for Caramelized Onion Frittata with Feta Cheese and Herbs, had a nice sweetness from the onions combined with the saltiness from the feta and Cheddar cheeses. Add in some fresh herbs and it was delicious! I baked it in a 9-inch pie plate instead of the 8-inch square brownie pan that Molly called for, and it came out looking like a crustless quiche.
For my rendition of Molly's recipe, I added some ham, omitted the feta cheese and poured the egg mixture into individual casseroles. To save you from asking me where I got the pretty white individual casseroles in the photo above, I bought them two years ago at Williams-Sonoma. They haven’t been sold since, which is too bad because I’d really like to buy a few more of them. But any 10 to 12-ounce individual casseorles or baking dishes can be used.
Start with 3 Vidalia onions, thinnly sliced. I have only 2 onions in the the skillet (below) so far. This will look like a lot of onions for six servings but they will cook down to about 1 cup.
After cooking for about 30 minutes, the onions looked like this.
Here is the ham I used.
Spoon the caramelized onions over the ham in the casseroles.
Sprinkle cheese over ham then pour egg mixture over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley.
After baking, they look lik this.
Caramelized Onions and Ham Breakfast Bakes
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
3 tablespoons butter
3 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (yes, I do mean 3 onions--they cook down by more than half the raw volume)
1 package (8 oz) diced ham
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
12 eggs
½ cup half-and-half
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 6 individual casseroles with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, cook and stir occasionally, over medium-low heat, about 30 minutes or until lightly browned and very tender.
3. Meanwhile, place ham in casseroles. Top with caramelized onions.
4. Sprinkle cheese over onions.
5. In medium bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper until foamy. Pour into casseroles over cheese.
6. Sprinkle parsley over tops.
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and center is set.
6 servings
Tags:
ham, Vidalia Onions, Weekend breakfasts, Williams-Sonoma, brunch recipes, individual casseroles, leisurely breakfasts, Caramelized Onion Frittata with Feta Cheese and Herbs, caramelized onions, Caramelized Onions and Ham Breakfast Bakes, John Morrel diced ham, egg bakes, crustless quiche
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