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Festive Holiday Ham Brunch Muffins with Eggs, Spinach and Goat Cheese

These bake in popover pans and the ham forms a little basket around the egg and cheese "muffin". They look festive and fancy but take hardly time at all. You can make the filling the night before and refrigerate it in a bowl. In the morning just line the buttered cups and finish baking. 

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 24 thin slices honey baked ham
  • butter for greasing the muffin pan
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1 bunch spinach stems discarded and leaves thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Piquillo peppers thinly sliced
  • 4 oz goat cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups half and half regular or fat-free
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 6 oz sharp cheddar shredded

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a popover pan. Place the pan on a cookie sheet to prevent spillover.
  2. Lay 3 slices of ham in each cup, offsetting the slices so they form the petals of a flower. Press the slices into each cup, pressing them against the sides. The ham slices should be intact with no holes to avoid the filling leaking out.
  3. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is translucent and just starting to brown. Add the spinach and Piquillo peppers and sauté for only a minute or two until the spinach is just wilted. Set aside.
  4. Divide the goat cheese evenly among the ham filled cups.
  5. In a medium bowl beat the eggs, half and half, salt, nutmeg and parmesan cheese.
  6. Gently spoon the egg mixture into the cups, filling them just below the top of the pan. Do not overfill.
  7. Bake the ham baskets for 15 minutes, top with the shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted.
  8. Let them stand for 10 minutes and remove them from the cups with a small butter knife. They will come out easily. Serve immediately.