Quick and easy to cook, and packed with protein, eggs are the perfect option for a quick and tasty lunch or dinner.
These recipes from Bord Bia show just how versatile eggs are — enjoy them baked in a rustic one-pan dish, or as tempting muffins for a delicious lunchtime treat.
Eggs baked with potatoes, spinach and bacon
This is a stress-free, rustic dish with a delicious combination of flavours
Serves four. Time: 45 minutes.
Ingredients
800g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
150ml vegetable stock, hot
Knob of butter
A little oil
125g bacon lardons
200g spinach
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
125g mozzarella ball, torn
4 Bord Bia Quality Mark eggs
50g cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F ).
To cook: Place the potatoes in a 30cm x 20cm buttered baking dish. Pour over the hot stock then dot with the butter. Season and bake for 20 minutes until almost tender.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan. Add the bacon lardons and cook until just crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the spinach into the same pan and allow to wilt. This will take about two minutes.
When the potatoes are ready, remove them from the oven. Dot the cherry tomatoes on top of the potatoes and then add the spinach, bacon lardons and mozzarella. Make four indents with the back of a spoon, large enough to hold an egg. Break the eggs into each of the indents. Season the eggs then sprinkle over the grated cheese, making sure to cover the yokes to prevent them from overcooking
Place the dish in the oven and bake until the eggs are just set, 10 to 15 minutes.
To serve: divide into four portions or bring the dish to the table and let everyone help themselves.
Bacon and egg muffins
These are delicious with chutney or wholegrain mustard and a salad for lunch. If you don’t have large muffin tins, the egg white might overflow when you break in the eggs. If this is the case you can just use the egg yolk and freeze the egg whites to use later.
Time: 45 minutes. Makes six muffins.
Ingredients
120g smoked bacon lardons
7 Bord Bia Quality Mark eggs
25g butter, melted, plus a little extra for the muffin tin
A little rapeseed or olive oil
100g mature cheddar, grated
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
0.25 tsp bread soda
1 small bunch chives, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml whole milk
100ml natural yogurt
Instructions
Heat the oven to Gas Mark 3, 170°C.
Butter six holes of a large muffin tin. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the batter.
To make the batter: Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Add the bacon lardons and cook gently for five to 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan onto a plate to cool.
Mix together the cheese, flour, baking powder, bread soda and chives in a large bowl, and season. Add the cooled bacon.
Whisk together the melted butter, milk, yogurt and one egg in a bowl. Add this to the cheese and flour mixture and stir until well mixed.
Divide half the batter between six of the muffin tin holes. With the back of a spoon press the batter into the bases and up the sides. Leave space in the centre to take an egg. Carefully crack an egg into each, then cover with the rest of the batter.
To cook: Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
To serve: Cool for five minutes in the tin before carefully taking the muffins from the tin and serving.
