Deconstructed Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

You know when you find a recipe and immediately think, “I must make this tonight”…even if it means making a stop on the way home at the very busy grocery store (which happens to be your greatest fear-a super busy grocery store with big carts and narrow aisles?)  Well, this is one of those recipes.

I recently taught myself how to poach eggs on the stove-you know, the “real” way.  With vinegar and a little ramekin or soup ladle and possibly a few curse words when the egg explodes and leaves stringy whites all over the water.  I lost a few eggs while I practiced.  Yes.  But I think I have it figured out.  I may not do it the most gracefully, or even with a technique that would let me pass a culinary class, but it works.  This recipe called for a lightly poached egg, and I was bound and determined to learn how to do it and get it right.

Here’s what I did:  I brought a medium-sized saucepan filled with water to a boil.  I added about 1/2 a teaspoon of white vinegar to the water. Once it boiled, I set a soup ladle in a bowl so it would remain upright, and then I cracked my egg into the ladle.  I stirred the boiling water quickly to create a “tornado” or vortex in the middle, and, once I quit stirring (and the water was still spinning), I gently poured the egg into the water, hoping and praying that I had succeeded in keeping my egg in one piece.  I boiled it for about 2-3 minutes, and I then had myself a nice poached egg. Fabulous.

And this recipe-amazing.  I yearn for meals like these-even if it’s dinner time and I am exhausted after a long day.  The nice thing about this recipe is its versatility.  You can modify this in whatever way you want, poached egg and all.

Deconstructed Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

2 slices of sourdough bread (sliced about 3/4-inch thick), toasted

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, chopped

1 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped

2 lightly poached eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Place two 12-ounce ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet.

3.  To each ramekin, add a quarter of the bread, tomatoes, and spinach in layers.

4.  Gently place a poached egg over the mixture, and sprinkle salt and pepper over the egg.

5.  Add the remaining tomatoes, spinach, and bread on top of each egg, dividing equally between the two ramekins.

6.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated cheese over the mixture.

7.  Lightly drizzle 1/4 cup cream over each ramekin, making sure to evenly distribute over the bread.

8. Let the ramekins sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the cream.

9.  Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

10.  Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

 

Source:  Adapted from Sur la Table.