Ham and Cheese Egg Cups

hamcheeseeggcups A quick and easy way to prepare breakfast for a crowd. Great for a holiday brunch or just a light snack for the family. Fast, filling and low carb, these Keto Ham and Cheese Egg Cups are an easy breakfast and a great meal planning staple. With only 3 ingredients and 1 gram of carbohydrates, these are a crowd-pleaser.

cooking spray, or butter
12 slices ham
1 cup cheddar, freshly shredded
12 large eggs
sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked

Garnish:
green onions, fresh parsley or chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6) and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or grease with butter.

Line each cup with a slice of ham (arranged like a tulip) and sprinkle with cheddar. Crack an egg in each ham cup and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Ham and egg cups baked for 12 minutes will have a runny yolk. The closer to 15 minutes of cooking time will have eggs with harder yolks.

Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle with chopped green onions, fresh parsley or chives.

Use a large spoon to remove the egg cups from the pan and serve.

Makes 12 egg cups.

Cook's Notes:

A standard 12~cup muffin pan makes quick work for assembling the ham and egg cups.
If you are not using a nonstick muffin tin, don't skip greasing the muffin cups or it may get tricky when it comes time to unmold the breakfast cups. Cooking spray easily and efficiently coats the inside of the pan. But you could also use butter, extra virgin olive oil, Canola oil, or coconut oil.
Standard thickness sliced deli ham is my preference for this recipe. Thinly sliced ham doesn't hold the ingredients together well enough. Choose your favourite brand of ham. I like a smoky tavern ham but, baked or honey ham are great options too. The ham may need to be trimmed to fit the muffin cups.
Freshly grated cheese is my go-to when cooking. The packaged grated cheese available at the store is coated with cellulose so it does not clump. But this anti-clumping or caking ingredient also makes the cheese less creamy when it melts.
How long should I cook the eggs? If you like your yolks super runny, you'll want to pull them around the 10-12 minute mark. They will need to cool for a bit in the muffin tin before you can remove them (they'll be HOT) and during these few minutes, the eggs will continue to cook. If you like them less runny, feel free to cook them a few minutes more, about 13-15 minutes.
Can I use another type of meat? Totally. Sliced deli turkey works in the recipe, as does salami or prosciutto. (If you go with salami, you'll need more than one slice to help cup the egg.
How else can I change these up? We sprinkle the ham with a little shredded cheddar, but feel free to swap in your favorite type of cheese. Gruyere, Parmesan, or pepper jack will all work well. You can also sprinkle the tops with different herbs like cilantro or sliced green onions.