Recipe: Ham & Egg Bread Baskets

I’m always looking for breakfast ideas – something that’s a little bit special, but still quick and easy. On days where I don’t have a 9am lecture I like to treat myself with a nice brekkie, but equally I have plenty of assignments to be getting on with; I can’t spend hours flipping pancakes! These are the perfect compromise. Yummy, not too unhealthy and super quick. The perfect pre-chocolate-coma Easter breakfast!

Eggs are my go-to treat at breakfast time, I’m much more of a savoury girl in the mornings and can’t resist a bit of #yolkporn. These bread baskets reduce the mess and washing up that comes with a cooked breakfast (in fact, if you cooked them til you had set yolks you’d do away with washing up completely), they can be made the evening before, they can be thrown in the oven and forgotten about whilst you rush around scrabbling to get ready in time. Then simply serve on the foil, eat, rinse your cutlery and head out of the door. Perfect.

These combined the richness of egg yolk with the saltiness of a little parmesan and the meatiness of ham. I like that they are lighter than the usual egg-bread combos, as you remove most of the inner from the roll, and ham is so much lighter than bacon (making bacon much more of a treat at the weekend, right?!). If you want to be indulgent, or just have some left over, I highly recommend adding a tablespoon of cream or creme fraiche before adding your cheese…

Ingredients (per person)

• 1 bread roll – I went for homebaked wholemeal
• 1 thin slice ham
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan

Preheat your oven to just over 180C. Slice the top of your roll and pull out most of the bread (reserve for making chorizo crumb – I can confirm it is delicious as a mac’n’cheese topping!). Line the hollow roll with the ham slice, crack in your egg, season with black pepper, add cream if you’re feeling naughty, scatter over the cheese then pop the top of the roll back on. Wrap well in foil, then back for 18 for a gloriously runny yolk (medium sized egg). Baking for 25 minutes will give you a just set egg that makes a perfect on-the-go breakfast.

I just love the combination of crisp bread, soft egg and salty ham – just divine. It makes a weekday morning so much more enjoyable!

What’s your favorite breakfast? How do you like your eggs in the morning?!