Shakshuka, huevos rancheros, and other baked egg dishes to feed one or a group 🍳

Ingredients

Huevos rancheros

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Half of a bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1-2 teaspoons of chili sauce, as mild or spicy as you’d like
• A couple drops of liquid smoke, optional
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or other Mexican cheese blend
• Tortilla chips, to line the baking dish and serve
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Shakshuka

• A bit of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp harissa, hot or mild, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tbsp paprika, preferably smoked or Hungarian
• 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds (half as much for ground)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 eggs
• Crusty bread, for serving
• Feta, artichoke hearts, olives, fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)

Uova in purgatorio

• A bit of extra-virgin olive oil
• One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• One 6-ounce can tomato paste
• One small onion, finely diced
• A couple cloves of garlic, minced
• A bunch of fresh basil, torn up some
• 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 eggs
• 0.5 cup grated Romano cheese (or other hard Italian cheese, to taste)
• Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. If using meat, cook the meat in the pan first. Set the meat aside, but leave enough rendered fat in the pan for the veggies.
3. In a saucepan, heat the oil (if needed). Add the veggies. Season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until heavily browned, around 10 minutes.
4. Add the seasonings and the gentler veggies like garlic. Stir until aromatic, about a minute.
5. Add the tomato sauce, remaining seasonings, and water. Simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Spoon the sauce into the pan. Crack eggs into the dish and sprinkle with the cheese.
7. Set the dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Sprinkle with garnishes and serve right away.

Notes

• It’s easy to scale up/down into individual baking dishes, 8” skillet, 10” or larger skillet, etc. Watch the times on the eggs to make sure they’re not over/under done.
• The sauce is easy to make in a bigger batch, then freeze for faster breakfasts later.