Pesto Egg, Ham and Cheesy Bread Bowl

A quick breakfast that is just as easy to make for a crowd as it for a party of two. This hearty meal combines pesto egg, ham, and cheese in a bread bowl!

One of my favorite things about blogging is getting to meet so many talented and amazing people.  I love how the food blogging-sphere has becoming this ginormous space for sharing kitchen knowledge, wisdom, and a never-ending array of recipes and ideas.

Today I’m participating in the Food Blogger Central’s first Blog Hop!  

A blog hop is a fun activity in which participates are introduced to other bloggers.  Bloggers are paired up and asked to try out another blogger’s recipe.  It’s a great way to meet new bloggers and try out new recipes.

I was selected to make a dish from Nagi of Recipe Tin Eats.  I had the hardest time trying to figure out what to make because she has SO MANY delicious and enticing recipes on her site.  

Nagi is super creative.  Her dishes are always colorful and well composed.  There’s nothing too daunting or time consuming to make.  Plus, she has this awesome “meals on the table in 15 minutes” section that you need to definitely check out.

I opted for one her most popular recipes- her No Washing Up Ham, Egg and Cheese Roll.  It’s a quick breakfast that is just as easy to make for a crowd as it for a party of two.  I switched it up by adding pesto- simply because I love pesto eggs.

This recipe requires just a handful of ingredients: bread rolls, eggs, sliced ham, shredded cheese, and pesto.  I suggest using Kaiser rolls, also called Vienna rolls.  

You can easily find these bread rolls at supermarket bakeries (think Ralphs/Krogers, Vons, and Whole Foods).  Sometimes the bread rolls are plain like the one I have, other times they’re topped with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.  The bread rolls are either formed into a knot or marked with a Kaiser stamp.  

It’s a great bread for making sandwiches, and it’s perfect for these bread bowls because they hold up really well.

1. Slice off the top of the bread.  Set aside.
2. Score a circle around the bread.  Scoop out the filling, being careful not to tear the bottom of the bread roll.  Snack on the filling or discard it.
3. Line the bread cavity with a slice of ham.  Crack an egg into the ham lined bread bowl.  Spoon about one teaspoon of pesto over the egg.
4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella (about 2 tablespoons) cheese over egg.  Cover bread bowl with reserved sliced bread top.
5. Wrap bread bowl in foil.  Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 18-20 minutes until egg whites are set and yolk is still slightly runny.  Bake longer if you want your egg yolks completely set.  If egg whites are still not set after 25 minutes, remove from oven.  Unwrap bread bowl and place on a microwave safe plate.  Place in the microwave with a small cup of water.  Heat in 15 second intervals until egg is done.
6. Remove from oven.  Unwrap bread bowls and enjoy.  Eat it with a fork or eat it like a sandwich. However you choose to eat it, you’ll have one delicious hot breakfast!

The great thing about this recipe- it’s super customizable.  Ham and cheddar into a pretzel roll would be a great combination.  The addition of cooked mushrooms, spinach, and other vegetables would definitely add more nutrition.  

You can even assemble these the night before and just pop them in the oven when you wake up!

Ooey-gooey, cheesy and savory.  What else could you ask for in a breakfast?