Ultimate Ham & Swiss Egg Cups

Directions

• Before We Start

  Ham Thickness: Medium-sliced ham holds its shape and crisps nicely around the rim. Thin-sliced will tear too easily and thick slices wont fold and form to the cupcake tin easily. You want rounded ham slices ideally, so it fits in the tin nicely.
  Make it Keto-Friendly: To go full keto, swap the honey for allulose or just skip the spread altogether.
  Batch Cooking: We make a big batch and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can reheat them for a quick breakfast in a 375°F (160°C) oven for 5–8 minutes, until the center is warm.

• Preheat the Oven

  Preheat to 375°F (190°C) with the rack in the center position. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with softened butter using a pastry or marination brush. You can also use cooking spray for easier application and less calories.
   
  Coat both the bottom and sides thoroughly—this prevents sticking, so they come out clean.

• Form the Ham Cups

  Gently separate the ham slices from each other to prevent them from tearing, then hold the ham with both hands at opposite sides. Lightly pinch and fold both sides of the ham to form a cup shape and place the ham slices into the muffin cups. Try to keep them straight so the edges rise slightly above the rim. This prevents the egg from spilling out of your ham cup.
   
  Have some hole-y ham? Ham can have a lot of holes in it, don’t fuss too much about it if you have small tears. The eggs will still come out pretty cleanly from the tin and the cups will still hold their shape.
   
  For thinner ham, double up slices if necessary.

• Prep the honey mustard spread

  In a small bowl, whisk together, Dijon, honey, and poppy seeds until smooth.
   
  Then using a pastry or marination brush, spread the mixture on you ham slices. Get the bottom and sides well.

• Add the Starter Culture

  In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of the cooled milk with the plain yogurt. Stir until smooth, then whisk that back into the full pot to distribute evenly.
   
  Important: Do not add starter yogurt while the milk is above 110°F (43°C)—you’ll destroy the live cultures.

• Cut the Cheese

  Now it is time to cut the cheese with all your might. If you have brick of cheese, shred it using the large part of a box grater. If you have slices, then cut them into 1/2 inch (1cm) squares.
   
  Add even amounts of the cheese in each ham cup.
   
  Now that 10 year old boy humor is coming out.

• Crack yo’ eggs

  Crack your eggs one at a time and open the ham up with your fingers. Drop one egg into each piece of ham. The egg will help keep the ham spread open as well as the baking process.
   
  Top each egg with a small pinch of salt.

• Bake

  Bake for 15–17 minutes on the center rack.
  At 15 minutes: Centers should jiggle slightly—ideal for a soft, custardy texture.
  At 17 minutes: Fully set with crisp edges.
  Avoid over baking; they’ll continue to firm up while resting.
   
  NOTE: You will likely see whites forming over the top of the yolk as they bake, this is normal, and not a sign of being over-cooked. The yolk will turn back to yellow after it cools. The key sign to look for to know if they are done is to gently shape the trey, if most of the eggs giggle and look somewhat liquidly, then they need more time. Once over half of them stay pretty firm when you giggle them, then they are done

• Rest & Finish

  Let the cups rest in the tin for about 5 minutes, to let them cool and firm up a bit more.
   
  Crack a small amount of black pepper over each ham cup along with a bit of chopped parsley (optional). Then use an offset spatula to loosen each cup, sliding gently around and under the ham to lift it free.
   
  Transfer to a plate and serve.