Creamy One-Pot Spinach And Egg Breakfast Recipe

Frozen spinach is the quiet hero here. Twenty ounces of it, thawed and squeezed dry, turns into a creamy bed for four eggs in a single 9-inch cast-iron skillet.

The sauce is the part people remember. Butter, onion, garlic, a little flour, then vegetable stock and heavy cream, with Parmesan melted in at the end. Lemon juice goes in last, off the heat, so it stays bright instead of turning flat.

You make four small wells in the spinach, slide in the eggs, and let the stove and broiler do the rest. Five minutes covered on medium heat, then 2 to 3 minutes under the broiler. Toast on the side is not optional in my book.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Soften the onion

Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the slices are soft and see-through.

2. Add the aromatics

Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes, until you can smell the garlic clearly.

3. Cook out the flour

Sprinkle the flour over the pan and stir until no dry patches are left. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. It should start to look light brown.

4. Build the cream sauce

Pour in the stock and cream and stir to combine. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Stir in the Parmesan and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and keep stirring for about 2 minutes until the cheese melts.

5. Fold in spinach and lemon

Stir in the lemon juice and the squeezed spinach. Take the pan off the heat.

6. Strain the eggs

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl and crack each egg through it, letting the thin outer white drain away. Put each strained egg in its own small bowl.

7. Make four wells

Press four hollows into the spinach with a 1/4 cup measure. Slide one egg into each. Season with the black pepper and a pinch of Parmesan.

8. Cover and cook

Put the pan back on medium heat and cover it. Cook for 5 minutes, until the whites just begin to set.

9. Broil to finish

Heat the broiler to high. Take off the lid and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to dry off any moisture and brown the cheese on top.

10. Rest and serve

Pull the pan out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Serve with toast.

Tips & Tricks

• Squeeze the spinach in a clean kitchen towel until it feels almost dry. You should get close to a cup of liquid out of it.
• Make the wells with a 1/4 cup measure so all four eggs cook at the same rate.
• Crack each egg into its own small bowl first. One bad egg will not ruin the whole pan that way.
• Let the pan sit for 10 minutes after broiling. The residual heat finishes the eggs and the sauce thickens as it cools.

Variations

• Add a handful of crumbled feta over the top before broiling for a sharper, saltier finish.
• Swap the vegetable stock for chicken stock if that is what you have. The sauce still works.
• For a spicier version, double the red pepper flakes and add a pinch of smoked paprika with the garlic.

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Creamy One-Pot Spinach And Egg Breakfast Recipe

Creamy one-pot spinach and egg breakfast with Parmesan, lemon and four baked eggs in a cast-iron skillet. Ready in 45 minutes and served with toast.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time55 minTotal4Servings

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ medium white onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided, plus more to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated, plus more for sprinkling)
• 20 oz frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• toast (for serving)

Instructions

1. 1Soften the onion — Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the slices are soft and see-through.
2. 2Add the aromatics — Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes, until you can smell the garlic clearly.
3. 3Cook out the flour — Sprinkle the flour over the pan and stir until no dry patches are left. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. It should start to look light brown.
4. 4Build the cream sauce — Pour in the stock and cream and stir to combine. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Stir in the Parmesan and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and keep stirring for about 2 minutes until the cheese melts.
5. 5Fold in spinach and lemon — Stir in the lemon juice and the squeezed spinach. Take the pan off the heat.
6. 6Strain the eggs — Set a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl and crack each egg through it, letting the thin outer white drain away. Put each strained egg in its own small bowl.
7. 7Make four wells — Press four hollows into the spinach with a 1/4 cup measure. Slide one egg into each. Season with the black pepper and a pinch of Parmesan.
8. 8Cover and cook — Put the pan back on medium heat and cover it. Cook for 5 minutes, until the whites just begin to set.
9. 9Broil to finish — Heat the broiler to high. Take off the lid and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to dry off any moisture and brown the cheese on top.
10. 10Rest and serve — Pull the pan out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Serve with toast.

Cook's note: Squeeze the spinach properly and the sauce will hold together. If it looks thin before the eggs go in, simmer it a minute or two longer rather than adding more flour.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: American

Course: Breakfast

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes55 minutes