Baked Eggs Napoleon French Style (Printable Version)

Layers of spinach, tomato, zucchini, and ham under baked eggs with creamy Gruyère sauce

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, washed and chopped
02 - 1 medium tomato, sliced
03 - 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

→ Main

04 - 4 large eggs
05 - 4 slices cooked ham or sautéed mushrooms
06 - 4 slices puff pastry or toasted brioche (4x4 inches each)

→ Sauce

07 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
08 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
09 - 1 cup whole milk
10 - 1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 - Pinch of nutmeg

→ Garnish

13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease four individual ramekins or one medium baking dish.
02 - Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in Gruyère cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
03 - Sauté spinach in skillet until just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Place puff pastry or brioche slice in bottom of each ramekin. Layer with sautéed spinach, zucchini slices, tomato, and ham or mushrooms.
05 - Spoon cheese sauce evenly over layered vegetables and ham in each ramekin.
06 - Create shallow well in center of each ramekin. Crack one egg into each well. Lightly season eggs with salt and pepper.
07 - Bake for 20-25 minutes until eggs are just set but yolks remain runny. Adjust cooking time for firmer yolks if desired.
08 - Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh chives or parsley. Serve immediately while warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The runny yolk creates its own velvety sauce when you cut through the layers
  • Everything bakes in one dish making cleanup surprisingly manageable
  • It looks incredibly impressive but comes together faster than you would expect
02 -
  • Watch the eggs closely after 18 minutes because they go from perfect to overcooked surprisingly fast
  • Room temperature ingredients prevent the cheese sauce from breaking and help eggs bake evenly
03 -
  • Use room temperature eggs and they will cook more evenly and predictably
  • Pre toast your brioche slices if you prefer a crunchier base that will not get soggy

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