I received a great set of ramekins for Christmas (thanks, Sally!) and it didn’t take me long to figure out what I would make in them first. Years ago, my brother Joe and his family were visiting my Mom and made these great individual baked egg and ham casseroles, with cream, grated cheese and some sort of green vegetable — asparagus, maybe? I’ve altered my brother’s recipe some, substituting Canadian bacon for the ham, spinach for the asparagus and fat free half-and-half for the cream. These little casseroles rock! They remind me of Eggs Florentine, without the English muffins and Hollandaise sauce.

Before the holidays, I spent several months researching Raleigh’s best brunches (see my previous posts at: http://wp.me/p1m2u9-1je and http://wp.me/p1m2u9-1hr.) While I enjoy eating out, sometimes it’s nice to be lazy on the weekend and not leave the house – a sweat pants, no makeup kind of day. And it’s easy to be lazy knowing I can have these great casseroles for brunch. You just may want to make extra if you have a big appetite — they are so delicious!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped
• Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• 2 slices Canadian bacon
• Hot sauce to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons fat free half and half
• 2 tablespoons extra sharp cheddar cheese (I use 2%), grated

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two ramekins with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add the spinach and season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Sauté until the spinach has wilted and remove from heat.

Place a slice of Canadian bacon in each ramekin. Top with the sautéed spinach. Add a few (or several) drops of hot sauce, to taste.

Crack an egg over the spinach and add 1 tablespoon of the half-and-half to each ramekin.

Sprinkle each with a tablespoon of the cheese. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or so, until the egg whites have set but the yolks are still runny.

Serve with fresh fruit, toast, etc. A mimosa or Bloody Mary would pair perfectly with these as well.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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