Baked Eggs in a Basket

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter four cups of a jumbo nonstick muffin pan or four 3/4-cup (175 mL) ramekins or ovenproof bowls.

Using a rolling pin or a glass, starting at the bottom edge, roll bread to flatten. Spread one side of each slice evenly with butter. Gently press butter-side up into pan or ramekins, pleating bread on two sides to fit and make 4 points above edge of pan. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the cheese into bottom of each cup. Bake for 5 min or until toasted.

Crack 1 egg into a separate small cup and drop into toast cup; sprinkle with pepper. Repeat with remaining eggs and toast cups. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 13 to 15 min, until centre is just slightly jiggly for softly set yolks or until desired doneness. Using two knives or narrow spatulas, carefully lift cups from pan and place on plates.

Cooking Tip: To test the doneness of the eggs, wearing an oven mitt, gently shake the pan or ramekins to see how jiggly the egg is: very jiggly is very softly set, slightly jiggly is softly set and little movement is firmly set. If your family likes their eggs done to different degrees, bake the baskets in individual ramekins so you can pull them out as they are done.

Tip for Kids: Kids can roll the bread, help shred the cheese and crack the eggs. Be sure to teach them always to crack eggs individually into a small bowl first – it’s much easier to remove any pieces of shell.

For the Adventurous: Use Canadian Asiago or Monterey Jack with hot peppers; spoon a small dollop of sun-dried tomato pesto on top before serving.