Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Parmesan

These simple Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Parmesan are a show stopper for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.

Learning how to bake eggs in the oven is a total game changer and there are so many ways to make eggs this way including these easy  Avocado Baked Eggs  and Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins.

Eggs are a very versatile protein. When you think about making eggs, you probably think about preparations such as scrambled, sunny-side up, poached, and other tried-and-true egg styles. But, have you ever tried baking eggs?

If not, this is an undertaking I recommend you take up this week, if not sooner. And not just any ordinary baked eggs — these babies are baked in tomato sauce and then topped with herbs and cheese. I mean — come on.

If you have never tried baked eggs, you are really missing out. They are seriously delicious and can be made with any combination of vegetables, herbs, and cheeses.

The flavor combination you get from tomatoes, Parmesan, and basil is one of my favorite flavors of all time.

Bake all this deliciousness together with eggs, serve with some nice bread for sopping up all the goodness, and well, let's just say you're going to need extra napkins on hand to wipe off all the drool.

The coolest thing about this dish (other than everything) is that you can add in whatever veggies you like or use fresh tomatoes.

The only thing I recommend if doing this is to first give them (the veggies, tomatoes, extra ingredients) a quick saute beforehand until everything is nice and tender before baking. Then layer them in the dish, add the eggs and cheese, and bake. Yum.

Serving Ideas

Looking for some fun ways to serve these tasty baked eggs? Try these:

• Serve with bread: Sopping up the entire dish with big chunks of baguette. They don't even need to be cut neatly. In fact, you'd be doing a disservice to this dish by treating it like a first date with your best manners. This dish asks you to be sloppy. Tear off a chunk of bread and use it as a spoon.
• Try tortilla chips: Scoop this dish up with some tortilla chips — preferably the kind that look like little bowls. Is it an ordinary way to eat baked eggs? No. Does it taste delicious? Yes!
• Serve with rice: Serving it over rice. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, doesn't matter — this dish pairs well over a nice bed of white or brown rice. Add the bread too, if you're feeling rather daring.

Ideas for Customizing Baked Eggs

This dish is, frankly, just fine scooped into a bowl and then right into your mouth. However, if you want a little extra somethin' somethin', may I recommend the following:

• Add beans: Serving it over a nice white, navy or pinto bean. You can add the beans to the tomato mixture before baking for that matter as well for a little extra dose of protein.
• Add protein: Add in a sausage. I would recommend cooking the sausage first before adding to the mixture. Chorizo or chicken sausage would be delicious in this dish. You can take the sausage out of the casing and cook it up first, or cook it whole, then slice it before adding it to the tomatoes. Serve it all over rice for a filling dinner entree.
• Add more veggies: Add a bag of frozen, mixed veggies to the tomato mixture (remember to saute first before baking).
• Make it spicy: Add some heat — red pepper flakes, chilis, chili powder, paprika, Tabasco, or whatever your heat preference is, add it in. Add spice before cooking, after, or both!
• Single servings: Separate this into four single-serving dishes before baking (two eggs per dish) as a fun way for everyone to get his or her own dish or to meal prep this for four breakfasts ahead of time.

How long do you cook an egg in the oven?

Generally speaking, if you are cooking the eggs in some kind of sauce, they will take between 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees for a runny egg.

If you wanted a more well-done egg, it would take a bit longer. If you wanted to cook the eggs individually in a muffin tin, they would take between 15-18 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

Ways to Add More Flavor

There are so many ways to customize these baked eggs.

• Shakshuka: This Middle Eastern version of baked eggs is kicked up with cumin, paprika, garlic, and bell pepper. To create a Shakshuka version of these baked eggs, start by sauteing half an onion with one red bell pepper and a couple of cloves of garlic. Once they tender, add a teaspoon of cumin and paprika to the mix and cook for one minute. You can also add a touch of cayenne if you like things spicy. Then add this mixture to the tomatoes and cook the eggs as directed. Top with cilantro or parsley and leave out the Parmesan for a more traditional version.
• Portuguese Baked Eggs: These baked eggs have a spicy twist and rely on bell peppers and jalapenos to build flavor. To make this version, start by sauteing red and green bell pepper and one jalapeno pepper. You can also add half a red or white onion. Add that mixture to the tomatoes before cooking the eggs.
• Spanish Baked Eggs: For a Spanish twist, you'll want to start with a Spanish chorizo. Crumble it into the pan and saute it until it is fully cooked. Then fold it into the tomatoes before cooking. Bake according to the directions below and top with Manchego cheese instead of Parmesan. You can also top it with some sliced olives for even more Mediterranean flavor.
• Italian Baked Eggs: I would almost call the version in this recipe Italian eggs except they are missing garlic. To kick up the Italian flavors, add a few cloves of minced garlic to the tomatoes. You could also just use your favorite marinara sauce instead of the diced tomatoes for a simple shortcut that is already full of flavor.
• Mexican Baked Eggs: For a spicy twist, replace the diced tomatoes with your favorite red or green salsa. Top with cilantro and queso fresco.

Will Baked Eggs keep in the fridge?

Personally, I do not recommend keeping baked eggs in the fridge since the eggs can get a little slimy. They will also most likely overcook during the reheating process.

The exception to this rule is if you are cooking well down, individual eggs in muffin tins. Since these are almost like boiled eggs and can be eaten cold, they can be stored in the fridge. 

Are Baked Eggs Healthy?

Frankly, just about every ingredient in this dish is considered a good part of a healthy diet. Let's take a deeper look into why though, shall we?

• Tomatoes are full of so much goodness — including lycopene, a cancer-fighting compound. Canned tomatoes are chock full of essential vitamins and minerals as well, including vitamin C and fiber. Plus, they taste great and are low in calories.
• Spices like Italian seasoning add flavor without extra fat and calories. Able to fight inflammation in your body and provide many essential vitamins and minerals, spices also work on keeping your digestive and circulatory systems healthy.
• Full of protein, a good kind of cholesterol, and antioxidants, eggs make an awesome meat substitute. They are also low-calorie, and can fill you up for hours after eating them.
• Milk is another great, low-calorie source of protein. Since you are only drizzling on a little before baking, you can add skim milk, unflavored plant milk, or skip it all together.
• Hard cheeses like Parmesan are full of protein, and calcium, and low in calories.
• Basil is not only deliciously tasty and works well with so many dishes, but it also contains cancer-fighting antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and antibacterial properties.