Eggs in Baskets with Candied Bacon Bits

By Foodiewife

Delicious baked eggs in a nest of Yukon Gold Potatoes, with a layer of candied bacon and melted cheese...what's not to love? I'll show you how to make this on my blog at: http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/05/eggs-in-baskets-with-candied-bacon.html

Ingredients

• TOPPING VARIATION, INSTEAD OF BACON:
• 3 to 4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes (or Russetts), peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 6 slices candied bacon (recipe follows)
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup shredded provolone (I used Swiss & Gruyere)
• 6 slices prosciutto, about 2 1/2 ounces, chopped
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 30mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Special equipment: jumbo sized 6-cup muffin tin (or six small oven-proof ramekins)

Heat the oven to 350°F.

In a food processor fitted with the grater attachment, push chunks of the potato through the chute to grate. Once all the potatoes are grated, put them into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the moisture.

Add the potatoes to a large bowl, stir in the olive oil (or you can use melted butter) and season well with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spray the muffin tin (or ramekins) lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Press the grated potatoes evenly into the muffin cups being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.

If using candied bacon, make this before baking the eggs:

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet (don't skip this step, or the bacon will turn out soggy and unevenly cooked).
NOTE: you can use a broiling pan, but cleanup is much harder.

Spread some brown sugar on a plate, and press each slice of bacon to coat evenly. Lay out each bacon slice, evenly, on the baking/cooling rack. Bake for about 10 minutes; remove from the oven and turn over with tongs.

Lower the temperature to 350°F and don't wander off-- as the fat is rendered and the brown sugar caramelizes, the tray can begin to smoke and you could burn the bacon!

Bake for about 5 -10 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon.

Remove from the oven, and be careful. It's very hot! Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes and then enjoy. Once these are cooled enough to handle, cut into small pieces-- make extra, because you'll want to eat it all!

If using maple prosciutto variation:
Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss together the prosciutto with maple syrup and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the eggs with grated cheese and put the candied bacon (or maple prosciutto on another sheet tray). Broil both until cheese melts, and prosciutto crisps slightly, about 1 minute.

Top the eggs with crispy bacon (or maple prosciutto) and serve immediately.