Eggs are an ideal ingredient in a quick snack, brunch or lunch, especially if you want something warm and freshly cooked. Apart from being versatile and highly nutritious, eggs can be baked in less than 20 minutes, and, being high in protein, they can help you feel fuller for longer, reducing the chances of your overeating or snacking on unhealthy options later.
The following recipes are all designed to be baked in an oven. These dishes can, of course, be baked in your standard oven, but a bench-top toaster-oven is much quicker, convenient and energy efficient. You could also make them in an air-fryer, but you’ll have to adapt the timings and, in some cases, the method to suit.
Some of these recipes are adaptations of traditional fried methods. These methods combine an egg with bread, and when fried, the bread soaks up lots of fat, which is the real source of dangerous cholesterol rather than the egg itself. These oven-baked methods use only a little butter and oil spray so are much healthier and lighter than the fried variety, and, in my experience, easier and not as messy to make. To add to their health benefits, I’ve suggested wholegrain bread, but you can, of course, use whatever type of bread you prefer.
Oven Baked Quick Egg Florentine is my version of the classic brunch favourite. I found the traditional method rather fussy, and certainly not feasible for a single egg, so devised this quick and tasty method instead.
Quiche is another favourite brunch dish, but the traditional quiche, which requires its crust to be pre-cooked before adding the filling, is fiddly and, again, not feasible for a single egg. A Quick Crustless Quiche, is a much easier option. For something a little lighter, you can try a Cheesy Baked Omelette.
You’ll find lots of recipes for frittatas on this website, but the two I’ve included here, Vegetable Frittata and Spinach Frittata can be made from Essential Standby Vegetables you’re sure to have on hand. All other ingredients are included amongst the Pantry Essentials.
The recipe for Egg and Cheese Bites is the only one in this collection that makes more than one serve, but these little muffin-like bites can be refrigerated or frozen and make great take-out snacks. The recipe calls for 6 eggs and makes 12 bites, but you can, of course, halve it to make 6.
For even more options for a quick snack, lunch or brunch, you could consult the entry: Eggs for Brunch or Lunch (1): On the Stovetop.
For more egg-based meals, just enter ‘egg’, ‘pancakes’ or ‘frittata’ in ‘Search’.
Recipes:
Oven Baked Savoury French Toast
Oven Baked Quick Egg Florentine
Oven Baked Egg-in-a-Basket
- 1 egg
- 1 slice wholegrain bread
- Butter or margarine
- Oil spray
- Line an oven tray with baking paper and spray with oil
- Use a cookie cutter or glass to cut a hole in the bread
- Leaving cut-out in place, butter the bread
- Remove cut-out and place it and the rest of the slice on the tray, buttered side up
- Break an egg into the hole
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 10 minutes.
Variations:
- sprinkle with diced bacon and/or shredded Parmesan cheese
- accompany with 3–4 cherry tomatoes, halved
Oven Baked Bacon and Egg
- 1 egg
- 1–2 tbsp. diced bacon
- 1 slice wholegrain bread
- Butter or margarine (optional)
- Shredded mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Oil spray
- Spray a small pie dish with oil
- Lightly toast and butter (optional) bread
- Place toast in pie dish
- Arrange diced bacon over one side of toast
- Break an egg over other side of toast
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese (optional)
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 10 minutes
Oven Baked French Toast
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup low-fat milk
- Cinnamon or vanilla sugar
- 2 slices wholegrain bread
- ¼ cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. honey or sugar
- Oil spray
- Line an oven tray with baking paper and spray with oil
- Cut crusts off bread (optional)
- In a wide bowl or pie dish thoroughly beat together egg, milk, cinnamon or vanilla sugar
- Steep bread on each side in the egg mixture
- Place the slices on the oven tray
- Spoon any leftover egg onto the slices
- Bake in a pre-heated hot (200°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes
- Place mixed berries in a cup with honey and lemon juice and microwave for 60 seconds
- Serve toast with berry compote
Variation: omit berry compote and serve with honey or jam
Oven Baked Savoury French Toast
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup low-fat milk
- 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 slices of wholegrain bread
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- Garlic granules, dried onion and basil
- Oil spray
- Line an oven tray with baking paper and spray with oil
- Cut crusts off bread (optional)
- In a wide bowl or pie dish thoroughly beat together egg, milk, and Parmesan cheese
- Steep bread on each side in the egg mixture
- Place the slices on the oven tray
- Spoon any leftover egg onto the slices
- Bake in a pre-heated hot (200°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes
- Halve cherry tomatoes and place in a cup with lemon juice and spices and microwave for 60 seconds
- Serve toast with tomato compote
Variation: omit tomato compote and serve with tomato sauce or ketchup
Oven Baked Bread Omelette
- 1 egg
- 1 or 2 slices wholegrain bread, thick cut
- 3–4 cherry tomatoes, quartered,
- 1 tbsp. chopped onion
- 1 tbsp. diced bacon
- Pepper and parsley
- 2 tbsp. shredded mozzarella (optional)
- 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
- Oil spay
- Line an oven tray with baking paper and spray with oil
- Take bread and, running a knife just inside the crust, remove the middle
- Place the crust on the oven tray and place tomatoes, onion and diced bacon in the gap
- Beat the egg and add to the mixture
- Sprinkle with pepper, parsley and mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese
- Flatten removed bread with an (improvised) rolling pin and place over the filling
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 15–20 minutes
- Flip over to serve
Oven Baked Quick Egg Florentine
- 2 portions frozen spinach
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt
- 1 slice wholegrain bread
- Garlic granules and parsley
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Oil spray
- Microwave frozen spinach for 60 seconds to thaw
- Stir in yoghurt with garlic granules and parsley
- Spray a small pie dish with oil
- Lightly toast the bread and place in pie dish
- Spread spinach mixture around edges of the toast, leaving a hole in the middle
- Break egg into the hole
- Top with mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 10 minutes
Cheesy Baked Omelette
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp natural yoghurt or low-fat milk
- 2 tbsp. shredded mozzarella
- 1 portion frozen spinach, thawed or 1 tbsp. diced bacon (optional)
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Pepper and parsley
- Oil spray
- Whisk yoghurt, pepper and parsley into egg
- Stir in shredded mozzarella with spinach or bacon (optional)
- Spray a small oven-proof bowl or ramekin with oil
- Pour in egg mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
- Bake in a pre-heated hot (200°C) toaster oven for 15 minutes
- Serve with toast or rice cakes
Quick Crustless Quiche
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. diced bacon
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 tbsp. low-fat milk,
- 1 tbsp. cornflour
- Pepper, parsley and dried onion
- Oil spray
- Spray a small pie dish with oil
- Place shredded mozzarella and diced bacon in the bottom of the dish
- Whisk together milk, eggs, cornflour, herbs and spices
- Pour mixture over cheese and bacon
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes
Variations: substitute one of the following for the diced bacon:
- ¼ cup mushrooms, chopped
- 2–3 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 portion frozen spinach, thawed or ½ cup chopped spinach leaves
Vegetable Frittata
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. diced bacon (optional)
- 1 tbsp. chopped onion
- ¼ cup canned potatoes, chopped
- ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
- Shredded mozzarella (optional)
- Pepper and parsley
- Oil spray
- Spray a small pie dish with oil spray (optional)
- Place chopped onion and mixed vegetables in the pie dish and microwave for 2 minutes
- Add the chopped potatoes and diced bacon to the pie dish
- Beat the egg with the Parmesan cheese and spices and stir into vegetables
- Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella (optional)
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes
Variation: substitute 2 tbsp. chopped red capsicum for some of the mixed vegetables
Spinach Frittata
- 1 egg
- 1–2 portions frozen spinach
- ½ cup canned potatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp. chopped onion
- 2 tbsp. diced bacon (optional)
- 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
- Shredded mozzarella (optional)
- Pepper and garlic granules
- Oil spray
- Spray a small pie dish with oil spray (optional)
- Place chopped onion and frozen spinach in the pie dish and microwave for 1 minute
- Add the chopped potatoes and diced bacon to the pie dish
- Beat the egg with the Parmesan cheese and spices and stir into vegetables
- Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella (optional)
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes
Egg and Cheese Bites
- 6 eggs
- 100gm grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup natural yoghurt
- Parsley, pepper and chives
- ½ cup (approx.) diced bacon (optional)
- Oil spray (or paper cake cups)
- Spray a 12-cup muffin tray with oil (or place a paper cake cup in each cup)
- Beat together eggs, Parmesan cheese and yoghurt
- Season with parsley, pepper and chives
- Place 1 tsp. diced bacon in each cup (optional)
- Pour mixture into muffin cups
- Bake in a pre-heated moderate oven (175°C) for 15 minutes
- Turn out and cool
- Refrigerate in a sealable container for up to 5 days or wrap individually and freeze