Don't let the eggs overcook
This is an excellent choice for brunch or on a weeknight when the desire for breakfast at dinner strikes. Canned tomatoes can be substituted for fresh with fairly good results in the sauce. If you prefer eggs over hard, instead of easy, cook for a few extra minutes after whites have set. Serve this with a slice of polenta or heaping pile of grits.
Baked Eggs Over Tomato Sauce
- 8-12 large Roma tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion diced fine
- 4 large shitake mushrooms sliced 1/4″ thick
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 5-6 eggs
- Salt/pepper
Melt a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in large frying pan. Fry onion over medium heat until translucent. Add mushrooms and brown. Add tomatoes, 1/2 the basil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium until sauce thickens. Spoon sauce into a 9″ pie plate. Sprinkle with some basil, salt and pepper. Carefully crack eggs over sauce in one even layer. Season again with the last of the basil, salt and pepper. Bake in an oven set to 375 degrees until whites have just set, about 8 minutes. To aid in the eggs setting without overcooking the yolk add a 1/2 cup boiling water to another pan below the eggs in the oven. The steam will help set the top faster.
Notes: Linda over at Savoring Every Bite recently did a similar dish. It’s spicier and sans mushrooms. It also has a catchier name! Eggs in purgatory.
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Baked eggs make a great dinner – love the shiitake ‘shrooms in this. I always, always have them over easy with an english muffin to soak up the runny. 🙂
Looks great! I like my eggs on the runny side!
That’s a great tip on not overcooking the eggs! I would take this for both breakfast and dinner!
Thanks!
Breakfast for dinner is always a good thing. Over cook my eggs though please 🙂
Ha, we had peach pancakes just the other night!
I absolutely love your blog, every single posting is a delight. Keep up the good work. Maybe I should stop being a fiction writer and become a food critic.
We could never write fiction, we’d be too distracted by what the characters ate. The man pulled out the shiny box as the woman looked down at her plate. So many thoughts raced through her head. Why could diners in England never leave the yolk runny? And why oh why couldn’t she find sausage like this in the states? What was that flavor, sage? The beans looked so inviting and the toast made from a sourdough starter just that morning was just begging for chutney. My this tea is good, she thought.
You crack me up, but you know they make their toast the night before in England… and put it in little stands on the table. Astonishing, but easy to butter (if the butter is soft).
Hehehe I was laughing out loud when I read this
Simple yet elegant. Did you go the Nigella route and add a bit of truffle oil?
Drats, no but next time!
Eggs and tomato sauce, whether cooked on the stove or baked in the oven, is a fantastic brunch item. And serving it over polenta is a great idea. Of course you and Linda posted similar recipes. Don’t all great bloggers post alike?
Ha, thanks. Katherine says we’re long lost cousins. She wants to make her limoncello biscotti.
Ooooo yeah. Please don’t tell me you used fresh shiitake mushrooms though, or I will be SO envious.
Um, no, cough, we don’t have mushroom vendors at our local farmers market either!
Mmmm… I bet this is delicious with cheesy grits.
I love baked eggs, and the recipe is great …….help me again, Greg – what are grits?
Poor people food! Kidding, think Polenta, but whiter and looser. It’s ground corn or in some cases hominy. Very popular in the Southern states. I never ate them growing up back East, Katherine did but only because she had Southern parents.
Thanks for this recipe! We eat eggs quite often at dinner and mostly scrambled (I like them runny !). I’ll try this recipe next time I make eggs!!!
‘over hard’ and ‘easy’ this new fangled egg terminology is a big much for me… I thought I knew EVERYTHING about eggs before I read this..
BTW having just woken with a horrible hangover – seeing/reading your post is going to pull me to the kitchen. If only my GF was here to cook me brekkie…
GF is slacking on her brekkie duties. Should we send a virtual scold her way?
She’s in London… no such luck on the brekkie front. Tomorrow should be better – my mother is here to stay tonight!
Have fun with your mom!
I love breakfast for supper!! And what a great tip for keeping the eggs soft as I like mine runny (or over easy as you Americanos say 🙂 ). And finally I know what grits are…my day is complete!
Eggs Americano! Katherine will still exclaim Salsa Americano from time to time. She loves that story.
Pray tell – how did you know I was going to be hungover this morning while reading blogs? And how did you know this is EXACTLY what I need, but don’t have the energy to make right now? I’m just going to go stare at the picture a bit more. Might help.
Aimee – so with you on this one. I did exactly the same… My other problem was a bare fridge. I just had a breakfast of 3 sausages and 2 cheese slices. In the process I have come up with a new motto – “A house is not a home without an egg in it!”
Katherine plans to stencil that on our wall. Actually, the last homeowner had stenciled home sweet home above the kitchen counters and when we were picking paints Katherine painted over that first. The other wall had your troubles are over for you are home.
Only you could make an egg dish look so delicious!
Ha, thanks. Linda’s looked this good too. And have you ever stopped by Egg Me On? That man can cook an egg! (And anything with them!) http://eggmeon.wordpress.com/
Perfect timing…we have guests coming for the weekend and they are bring fresh eggs from the hen house. This can be brunch tomorrow.
Oh fresh eggs! I thought fresh tomatoes made the dish, but I stand corrected.
Can I have mine over easy please with polenta, thank you.
🙂 Mandy
Coming right up!
You post the most delicious looking recipes (and awesome pics). My stomach is growling this morning, looking at that picture!
Over grits sounds fantastic!
My husband hates eggs, so I’m always looking for 1-person egg dishes, and this would work beautifully. Eggs and tomatoes go together so nicely. Mmmm, with a slice of crusty buttered bread… 🙂
Oh … especially if the eggs are runny!
This sounds savory and delicious. Sometimes breakfast at dinner is just the way to go.
I’m such a tomato gal, but have never thought of putting them together with eggs… it actually sounds really good!
This looks fantastic and the only problem here is no one would eat it with me at my house and then I would end up eating ALL!
Hmm, I’m not seeing the problem…
I’m coming over for brunch or dinner cuz this looks so good. But, can I have some figs on the side? Cognac caramel goodness in the previous post sounds right up my alley!
Sure thing, maybe you can hook me up with some homegrown honey!
I had some polenta with a fried egg on top yesterday (some meatballs may also have been involved) and, you’re right, it’s a terrific combination. Looks great!
Great looking eggs! Fresh basil – such a good choice! Perhaps this will be supper tonight! With Ritchey’s famous cheese grits!
Oh, I hope to see that recipe. Is it on you site already? Heading there now!
Oh man..I wish I would have looked at this an hour ago! This sure beats that bowl of mini wheats I just had!! Looks delicious especially with some grits! Mmmm… 🙂
Make it a breakfast for dinner night.
You had me at tomatoes, shitakes, and eggs. Now only if I have read this before cooking breakfast this morning. 🙂
At least tomorrow’s Sunday!
Well that’s tomorrows brunch sorted then, cheers!!
I’m not an “egg in the morning” girl *at all*! This look “dinner-y” enough that I may have to try it, though. Mmmm! Your photos are always drool-worthy!
Wonderful weekend breakfast idea! I am wondering if it wouldn’t work with my “magic” steel pan and a lid… I have read about grits in the Whistle Stop Café Cookbook by Fannie Flagg, so they sound very “South food” to me! I have read most Americans have never heard about grits.
you know i’m all about breakfast-for-dinner, so this dish looks fantastic! great recipe, greg.
aw I just love this photograph. Makes me want to smile 🙂 Lovely, comfort food!
yummy recipe, eggs deserve to be served at lunch and dinner as a focal point of the meal. That what this recipe does to it! I love the name Linda has given to her recipe. We have a recipe on weirdcombinations we call spinach narcissus … when cooked the dish looks like daffodils.
Cheers,
Hegs
What a great ideal to serve with polenta! I truly love your style! Thanks so much for the mention!
That looks good! I’ve been wanting to try a baked egg dish for breakfast, but have always been kinda skeptical. Are the eggs still kinda mushy and raw?
Nope, the yolk is runny, the way I like it. The eggs are cooked though.
We love eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yeah, my hubby likes his on the runny side so he can dip the bread in them. Great photo,too!
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I luv me some baked eggs!
WOOF – that with a slice of polenta would go down an absolute treat.
This recipe looks really interesting and good! I’m definitely going to try this out 🙂
I love the add of tomatoes….RaeDi
People think I’m crazy when I say I like to eat eggs with tomato sauce. Nice to see there’s more of us crazies 😉
I’m making this for dinner tonight (with a few changes since I forgot to buy mushrooms at the store). I’m going to link to your page. 🙂
Great, hope you like it. Sans mushrooms should still be good!
It was BEAUTIFUL. I used broccoli instead of mushrooms and I cheated by cooking the eggs a bit longer. I can see why you get so many comments on this post…this was HEAVEN in my stomach! Thanks for posting!
Wonderful. I wouldn’t have thought to use broccoli even though I love it.
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