Baked Eggs Napoleon (Printable)

Sophisticated layered dish with vegetables, ham, cheese sauce and baked eggs

# 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 Components

04 - 4 large eggs
05 - 4 slices cooked ham or sautéed mushrooms for vegetarian option
06 - 4 slices puff pastry or toasted brioche, approximately 4x4 inches each

→ Sauce Ingredients

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 to taste
12 - Pinch of nutmeg

→ Garnish

13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease four individual ramekins or a medium baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, then stir in Gruyère cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until smooth and combined.
03 - Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped spinach and cook briefly, stirring constantly, until just wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Place one slice of puff pastry or toasted brioche in the bottom of each ramekin. Layer the sautéed spinach, zucchini slices, tomato, and ham (or mushrooms for vegetarian version) on top of the bread base.
05 - Spoon the prepared cheese sauce evenly over the layered vegetables and ham in each ramekin, ensuring all ingredients are well coated.
06 - Create a shallow well in the center of each ramekin using the back of a spoon. Carefully crack one egg into each well. Season the eggs lightly with additional salt and pepper.
07 - Transfer the ramekins to the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the egg whites are completely set but the yolks remain slightly runny. Adjust baking time by 2-3 minutes longer if you prefer firmer yolks.
08 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped chives or parsley before serving immediately.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • The combination of warm cheese sauce and runny egg yolk creates its own rich sauce right in the dish
  • It looks incredibly impressive but comes together in under an hour with mostly pantry ingredients
02 -
  • The ramekins will be very hot when they come out, so let them rest for a couple minutes before digging in
  • Eggs continue cooking after leaving the oven, so pull them out when whites look set but still slightly jiggly
03 -
  • Crack each egg into a small bowl first, then gently slide it into the ramekin to avoid breaking the yolk
  • Set a timer for 20 minutes, then check every 2 minutes until the whites are completely set

Return