Green Eggs No Ham Muffin Cups are eggs in French Toast Cups baked in a Muffin pan topped with Southwest Jalapeño Pesto. They make a delicious and healthy breakfast or brunch.
What can be more fun for breakfast than Green Eggs No Ham? Well, the eggs aren't green but the Jalapeńo Pesto takes care of that.
Recipe originally posted on March 16, 2010 and has been a favorite ever since!
Post updated on Dec 16, 2023.
Will you eat them on St Pat's? Will you eat them wearing hats?
I do so like them, Sam-I-Am, I do like green eggs and no ham!
-- Modified from the Dr Seuss classic "Green Eggs and Ham"
The Southwest pesto takes this breakfast classic - Eggs in a Basket* - to a whole new level! It can turn your St Patrick's Day breakfast into Top 'O The Mornin' And the basket shape of the bread makes this a perfect Easter basket breakfast or brunch!
St. Patrick's Day Recipe Ideas
Let your potatoes have a little fun! St Patrick's Day is a good excuse to try something new for dinner. Potatoes and chiles are a match made in heaven so kick your dinner ideas with a Southwest spin.
My Potato Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce is a favorite recipe any time of the year. What's a party without nachos? Change them up with this Irish Nachos Pub- Style Potatoes recipe from one of my blogging friends.
Savory Recipes Baked in a Muffin Pan
I'm always looking for more ways to use the kitchen tools I already own, it saves money AND space in my kitchen. Here are a few ideas for baking savory recipes in a muffin pan-
If you are looking for a "make ahead" breakfast, try these Baked Breakfast Egg Cups. Switch up the flavors by adding the veggies of your choice.
Muffin Pans aren't just for breakfast anymore. Think outside the bun with Chicken Taco Cupcakes. Don't be scared! They are delicious taco seasoned chicken baked in wonton wrapped stuffed with Southwest flavors.
Don't forget dessert! Try these Pumpkin Spice Mousse Cups have an oat crust that is baked in a muffin pan. Use this Oat Crust Recipe for any filling.
How to Make Green Eggs No Ham Muffin Cups
- Spray a large cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a pie pan or other shallow pan, mix the savory French toast egg mixture.
- Dip each bread slice in egg mixture for about 10 seconds on each side.
- Place soaked bread slices in muffin tins, forming a "basket," with corners of bread sticking up out of muffin tin slightly.
- Crack one egg into all 6 muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes for eggs that will have slightly soft yolks, or bake longer as desired to make egg yolks firm.
- Serve egg baskets on a plate, drizzled with pesto sauce.
Tips for Making Southwest Jalapeño Pesto
- Steaming the spinach makes the pesto smoother and darker green. See recipe below.
- Use spinach and no basil to make this sauce more budget friendly.
- Add a little lemon zest to brighten the taste.
- Jalapeño is the ingredient that sets this pesto apart from the rest, a kick of heat and spice!
- Seeds or no seeds? That is the question. Leave the seeds and "ribs" inside the jalapeno in your pesto of a hotter sauce. Remove the seeds AND the ribs or membranes inside the jalapeńo for a milder sauce.
- Blended the pesto in your blender for a smoother sauce, but you can use your food processor for a more traditional rustic texture.
** FOR 50 QUIRKY NAMES FOR THIS TRADITIONAL EGG AND TOAST DISH, SEE THE END OF THIS POST!
What are Eggs in a Basket?
This recipe is often called Eggs in a Basket. It is traditionally made by cutting a round hole out of a slice of bread, placing the slice in a skillet and cracking an egg into the center.
This recipe is has a more 'basket-y' shape made buy soaking the bread slices in a French toast custard mixture and then pressing them into muffin tins.
** Check out all the quirky names for this dish: One Eyed Jack. Eggy in a Basket. One Eyed Pirate. Gashouse Eggs. Egg in a Window. Egg in the Hole. Pirate's Eye. Toad in the Hole. Adam and Eve on a Raft. Bird's Nest. Bull's Eye. Cave Entrance. Camel's Eye. Eagle Eye. Egg-Holey-O, Egg Castorini, Egg in a Blanket, Egg in a Frame, Egg in a Hat and Coat, Egg in Bed, Egg in a Nest. Eggy Toast. Eye of the Beholder. Gaslight Eggs. Hobo Toast. Hobo Eggs. Nest Eggs. O'Johnnies. Submarine Egg. Victory Egg. Rocky Mountain Toast. Yolky Pokey. Hole in One. Man in a Boat. Baby in a Hole. Eggs in a Bonnet. Bird's Nest Eggs. Knothole Eggs. Moon Over Miami (from the Betty Grable movie) Ox Eye Eggs. Chicky in a Nest. Navy Eggs. Breakfast Bulls Eyes. Egg in the Middle. Sunlets. Boy Scout Eggs. Kellogg Eggs.
*Leave the seeds in the recipe for a sauce with more heat.
Green Eggs and No Ham Muffin Cups
Eggs in a french toast cup baked in a muffin tin.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs, divided
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 6 slices day-old firm white bread
- 8 cups chopped spinach
- 1 handful of cilantro leaves
- 1 jalapeño, with or without seeds*
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 1 ounce Queso Fresco cheese, crumbled
- A few dashes Tabasco sauce
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Spray a large cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
In a pie pan or other shallow dish, mix 2 of the eggs, milk, garlic powder, smoked paprika and ½ teaspoon salt.
Dip each bread slice in egg mixture for about 10 seconds on each side.
Place soaked bread slices in muffin tins, forming a "basket," with corners of bread sticking up out of muffin tin slightly. Crack one egg into all 6 muffin tins.
Bake for 15 minutes for eggs that will have slightly soft yolks, or bake longer as desired to make egg yolks firm.
Place spinach in a glass bowl or ceramic dish, cover with plastic wrap and then microwave for about 90 seconds, or until completely wilted.
Remove 1 teaspoon zest from lemon and 2 tablespoons juice from lemon.
Place juice and zest and all remaining ingredients in blender (for a smooth sauce) or food processor (for a more rustic sauce). Blend until smooth.
Serve egg baskets on a plate, drizzled with pesto sauce.
Notes
Note about 'Eggs in a Basket': This dish is traditionally made by cutting a round hole out of a slice of bread, placing the slice in a skillet and cracking an egg into the center. I made a more 'basket-y' shape buy soaking the bread slices in a French toast custard mixture and then pressing them into muffin tins.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 373Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 258mgSodium 791mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 7gSugar 4gProtein 20g
Nutritional values calculated and estimated by Nutrionix.
Other food bloggers' takes on this egg classic:
One Eyed Jack, aka Eggs in a Basket, For the Love of Cooking
Eggs in a Basket with Wonton Wrappers, Green Lemonade
Eggs in the Basket, A Series of Kitchen Experiments
Gashouse Eggs, Kitchen Parade
Bonnie
Donna, It was so fun to meet you at Les Madeleines. Thanks for posting about this blog on the Hive. I love FabFrugalFood and I wish that I knew about this one sooner. We Love southwestern-Mexican food of any kind. Great recipes and tips here.