Oeufs en Cocotte

That’s a fancy name for eggs baked in a cup or ramekin.

Oeufs en Cocotte

The word "oeuf" is French for "egg." Probably most people know that; but the word "cocotte" was a new one from me.   The variety of definitions for cocotte are hilarious.  Wonder how it came to mean ramekin?!

co·cotte  (kô-kôt) n.

1. (Cookery) a small fireproof dish in which individual portions of food are cooked and served

2. a prostitute or promiscuous woman
3. feminine diminutive of coq, cock, from Old French.

Let's just assume we are going with the first definition here... for the sake of having four kids running around my kitchen!

Okay... so this is the most ridiculously easy thing you could possibly make for breakfast or brunch, and lends itself to a gazillion different variations for the individual personalities in your house.  You could just add any combination of flavors you dream up, throw it in the oven, and sit and have that second cup of coffee.  Actually, I just set out to make some eggs-in-a-cup with some cool ingredients and then found out it had this wonderfully cool name!  I'm so glad, because it makes it sound really fancy! :-)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• I got out a couple of eggs (although my daughter insisted that she had to have one of them) and found various wonderful ingredients in the fridge that needed to join a good party.
• some fresh baby spinach
• some sweet and juicy grape tomatoes
• a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
• some crumbled tomato-basil feta cheese
• and of course some bacon.. which is getting itself crisped up during this photo shoot.

• Chop a handful of spinach
• Add to an oven safe ramekin

• Add the beaten egg mixture
• two eggs
• a little milk or cream
• salt and pepper
• the small thyme leaves, stripped from the stems

• Crisp up some bacon (or just take a piece from the mountain of bacon that you've just made for your kids)
• Chop into small pieces. 

• Add some crumbled bacon over the eggs (because this makes everything better)

• Add the chopped tomatoes

• Sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese over the top

• Add maybe a little more pepper and get this baby ready to stick in the oven
• I put it on a baking sheet in the oven - mostly for easy transport.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  

• It will be soft and custardy.... but wonderful and savory at the same time.

•  And yes, it was truly as great as it looks!  Lots of color.  Lots of nutrition.  Lots of yummy!
• These would be great as an assembly line "make it yourself" meal with different "toppings" to choose from.  Because the breakfast kitchen can be wild and wonderful in the mornings.
• Spanish - chorizo, cojita cheese, green chilis
• Italian - cooked, crumbled Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese
• Ham and swiss
• Leeks and onions
• endless combinations!

• One thing to keep in mind is that different cheeses will add different amounts of saltiness.  So season according. 
• I know this is probably not the traditional preparation for this dish (Julia Child would probably not approve), but it certainly was lovely!

 Written Method:
Okay... so this is the most ridiculously easy thing you could possibly make for breakfast or brunch, and lends itself to a gazillion different variations for the individual personalities in your house.  You could just add any combination of flavors you dream up, throw it in the oven, and sit and have that second cup of coffee.  Actually, I just set out to make some eggs-in-a-cup with some cool ingredients and then found out it had this wonderfully cool name!  I'm so glad, because it makes it sound really fancy! :-)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• I got out a couple of eggs (although my daughter insisted that she had to have one of them) and found various wonderful ingredients in the fridge that needed to join a good party.
• some fresh baby spinach
• some sweet and juicy grape tomatoes
• a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
• some crumbled tomato-basil feta cheese
• and of course some bacon.. which is getting itself crisped up during this photo shoot.

• Chop a handful of spinach
• Add to an oven safe ramekin

• Add the beaten egg mixture
• two eggs
• a little milk or cream
• salt and pepper
• the small thyme leaves, stripped from the stems

• Crisp up some bacon (or just take a piece from the mountain of bacon that you've just made for your kids)
• Chop into small pieces. 

• Add some crumbled bacon over the eggs (because this makes everything better)

• Add the chopped tomatoes

• Sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese over the top

• Add maybe a little more pepper and get this baby ready to stick in the oven
• I put it on a baking sheet in the oven - mostly for easy transport.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  

• It will be soft and custardy.... but wonderful and savory at the same time.

•  And yes, it was truly as great as it looks!  Lots of color.  Lots of nutrition.  Lots of yummy!
• These would be great as an assembly line "make it yourself" meal with different "toppings" to choose from.  Because the breakfast kitchen can be wild and wonderful in the mornings.
• Spanish - chorizo, cojita cheese, green chilis
• Italian - cooked, crumbled Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese
• Ham and swiss
• Leeks and onions
• endless combinations!