eggs in potato baskets

Talk about the underdog of meals. It’s a shame, too. There’s nothing more delicious and easy to entertain with than a tasty, comforting breakfast. Eggs in potato baskets is an especially smart choice. It’s super easy to make, has familiar comforting breakfast flavors, and, well, it’s freaking adorable.

It all starts with a russet potato. What a spud muffin.

this potato and I have eyes for each other.

Peel and grate your potato. The most crucial step comes next. Using paper towels or cheese cloth, squeeze out the water from your grated potato. If you don’t drain out all the water, your “basket” will be soggy, not crispy and delicious. I was able to drain almost a quarter cup of liquid from this potato. I took a photo to show the amount of liquid, but I choice not to post it because, well, it looked gross. Instead I added a gratuitous butter photo for your viewing pleasure -- you're welcome. Add a couple of tablespoons of melted butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

gratuitous butter shot.

butter, salt and pepper.

Using a cupcake or muffin tin, it’s time to start building the dish. I only have cupcake tins, but muffin tins would probably be even better, since they’re larger and can fit in some cheese too. Use nonstick spray to avoid the tragedy of destroying a basket when removing them from the tin. Firmly push the grated potato on the bottom and sides of the tin. Make sure the potato spills over the top of each cavity so it can properly hold all of its future yummy contents. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, until the basket get crispy and golden.

Meanwhile, fry up some bacon. Hmm, bacon.

I only use hormone and antibiotic-free organic meat. It’s widely available, and often it’s as cheap as the standard stuff. I don’t want to be preachy, but I really do highly recommend it. It’s not that I’m rich by any means – in fact, I’m a law student with some chunky student loans. I’m not always the healthiest either – I mean, I’m cooking bacon here -- but it’s often the difference between eating healthy and sick animals. It’s one of the only things I’ll gladly splurge on. It’s absolutely fine to not make this switch, but if you choose not to, the best thing you can do for yourself is research what is in the meat you’re choosing to stick with. Ok, done with my rant. The bacon is cooked and the potato baskets are done. Actually, the entire meal is essentially done, only with some assembly required.

Crumble some bacon into the bottom of the baskets. 

it's just like putting the lime in the coconut.

Next, gently crack an egg into the basket. I use organic brown eggs.

Pop the tray back into the oven for about 8 minutes, until the whites are cooked, but the yolk is still soft and buttery. For easy removal, allow your baskets to cool for a couple of minutes, and also run a butter knife along the rim to dislodge the basket. 

You can serve them alone as a perfect little meal, with pancakes or waffles for a complete breakfast, or even with a little mixed greens salad for an elegant dinner.

And there you have it. Eggs in potato baskets. Enjoy.