A New Beginning: Ham and Cheese Breakfast Cups
As I’ve said in a few of my previous posts, I grew up around food. I also grew up being told to finish my plate, or else it was improper. These things, with a bunch of other factors, all combined to make a big health problem: In May of 2018, I maxed out at over 500 pounds. Simply using diet and exercise, once you are that size and of that mobility level, is more than incredibly hard; for some it’s almost impossible. I was one of those people. I needed an additional tool to help me be self-sufficient. I needed a tool that would give me the chance to let diet and exercise be something attainable.
So, I pursued a drastic, yet effective resource: I had bariatric surgery in July of 2018. It was no small effort for me, what with the pain, and the embarrassment I felt for needing this option. Yet, at the same time, there is strength in having the resolve knowing that this road will be a difficult one, and still making that choice. With the surgery came a huge lifestyle change, and dietary changes with that. As I recovered, things, slowly got better. Within a few weeks I was off the liquid diet and started having more energy to move around. A month later we were exercising at home. 3 months on and clothes were flying out of the closet and into the donation bin. Now, one year out from the surgery, I’m still dropping weight like it’s going out of style, working an active job, and living a healthier life. In a year, I’ve dropped 225 pounds, with a bit more expected before I hit my next plateau. Diet and exercise changes were instrumental for attaining this 12-month result.
Its been a heck of a year!
Being a foodie and going through bariatric surgery can be a bit…difficult, to say the least. I come with a bit of restriction, should I want to eat out, and that can be difficult at some establishments. Mostly though, I cook my meals at home. I will be writing about this in a future post at length. Today, I’d like to share with you one of the breakfast items that led me down my road to success. It’s a simple creation, easy to meal prep, and delicious to boot. It’s my take on the ham and cheese breakfast bite!
Smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce!
These breakfast cups are a hallmark of the meal prep scene, and chances are you may have seen a video about these breakfast bites on YouTube or Facebook in the past. These were the first solid food I started eating after my liquid diet ended. There’s no denying that a little bit of prep goes a long way with these! My take on this recipe changes the cheese and the ham. I’ve swapped out the cooked ham for a lighter, saltier prosciutto, and the cheese has taken on a new form: A sauce. While most put shredded cheese in the cup itself, I’ve found the texture of partially melted cheese doesn’t taste that good. Instead, I’ve incorporated a classical French cheese sauce that elevates this to a whole new level!
Making these delicious breakfast morsels is so simple! Plus, with how many that are made, it’s a great idea to make them in advance, so that your on-the-go mornings are just a tad bit less stressful!
Prosciutto adds a lightness and saltiness to the Breakfast bite!
First, preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, spray that muffin ton to within an inch of its life! Make sure each of the tins is nicely coated, this will help the prosciutto from sticking to the sides. Cut the slices of prosciutto in half and place each one in the bottom of a muffin cup. Press the prosciutto into the sides of the tin to make sure it adheres its shape! Then, crack an egg right into it. Store-bought eggs work just as good here, but I like to go a step further and support local farms by purchasing eggs from them. There are a plethora of vendors at the farmers market who sell eggs, such as McIntyre Family Farms, Feathers and Horns, and Malheur River Meats (Along with so many more!) so make sure to check them out!
After that, we placed the breakfast cups in the oven, and let them cook for about 15 minutes. I saw “about” because you can reduce the cooking time to fit the doneness of your egg. I personally like a runny yolk and pull it out around the 10-12-minute mark. Fully cooked yolks are achieved right at 15 minutes though!
These baked eggs are about to get dressed in the most beautiful attire!
While the breakfast cups are cooking, we prepared the sauce topping for these little beauties: A Mornay. Specifically, a mornay is a white sauce, or Bechamel, that has Swiss incorporated into it. Its one of the mother sauces in cooking, and essential to any home cook. Luckily, this also tastes incredible with some freshly cooked egg!
To start the bechamel, you first want to make a roux: drop the butter into a nice hot pan, and melt it completely. Then, take it off the heat, and add the flour. Whisk it together until it forms a nice, uniform mixture. No lumps in this household! Then, add it back onto the heat and let it cook gently for a minute or two to help cook out some of that floury taste. The key here is to not let the roux brown. More than a minute or two will cause the roux to turn brown, and as a result, your sauce will turn brown! We want this white as can be. After a minute on the heat, add in the milk a little at a time, whisking to make sure the sauce is smooth, then bring it to a boil, whisking constantly.
Once it reaches a boil, set it to simmer on a gentle heat, covered, for at least 20 minutes. This will thicken the sauce and make it thick and creamy. The ideal consistency that you want here is for the sauce to coat the back of a spoon and not immediately run off.
A little bit of salt and pepper are all it takes to make this magical!
Now its time to make the Mornay. Whisk the egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Then, take the hot sauce off the gentle heat, and immediately add in the cheeses (We actually didn’t have Parmesan in the house, and instead used an alpine style hard cheese called a Tome that we got from Picabo Desert Farm. It was delicious!), followed by the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until the cheeses are fully incorporated and add salt and pepper to taste. That’s all there is to it! Once you have your sauce, you can store it in the fridge for up to a week or two after its made. It can be used as a finishing sauce not just for eggs, but for chicken and vegetables as well! It’s a multi use sauce that elevates anything that it is put on!
These breakfast cups are a true treasure to me. Even in their simplicity, they mean much more than Breakfast. They represent a new lease on life, and a new beginning. I would only eat one of these a day when I first started on my weight loss journey. But they filled me right up! No just with food, but with the confidence that I had what it took to see this whole process through.
Ham And Cheese Breakfast Bites
Servings: 12 Breakfast Bites
Ingredients:
6 Slices Prosciutto
12 eggs
2 ¼ cup Whole Milk
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup Unsalted Butter
¼ cup flour
1 egg yolk
Heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
A scant few leaves Parsley for garnish
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray(not flour based). Cut the prosciutto in half, and one half in each of the muffin tins, firmly pressing the prosciutto to stick to the sides of the tin. Then, crack one egg into each tin. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reducing the cooking time will make for a runnier yolk, so adjust to your preference
3. Prepare the Bechamel. Place the butter in a small saucepan, and melt. Then, take it off the burner, and add in the flour, whisking until it forms a smooth liquid. Then, slowly add in the milk, making sure to eliminate any clumps that form. Return the mixture to medium high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Then, cover and reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally for an additional 20 minutes at least, until the sauce has reduced nicely and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Finish the Mornay. Remove the Bechamel from heat, and add in the swiss and parmesan cheese, whisking to incorporate. Then, whisk the egg yolk and heavy cream in a small bowl, and pour into the sauce. Whisk further and add salt and pepper to taste. Then, spoon the sauce over the breakfast cups, garnish with the parsley, and enjoy!
