Muffin Tin Breakfast Croque Madame Toastie Cups

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Set the oven to 180°C (350°F). Use a Texas-size muffin tin with six large wells.

2. 2

   Step 2: Cut the crusts from the six fresh large bread slices, then flatten the bread with a rolling pin. Set the removed crusts aside for another use.

   Uses 6 large slices fresh white sandwich bread, about 13 × 13 cm including crust

3. 3

   Step 3: Press the flattened bread from step 2 into the six large muffin wells to make cups. Put them in the oven for five minutes, even while it is warming up, to dry the bread slightly without browning it. Remove the tin for filling.

   Remove dried bread cups · 5 minUses flattened bread slices after crust removal

4. 4

   Step 4: Melt the sauce butter (1½ tbsp) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in all the flour (1½ tbsp) until a paste forms.

   Uses 1½ tbsp unsalted butter for the sauce · 1½ tbsp flour

5. 5

   Step 5: Whisk half the milk, ⅝ cup, into the butter-and-flour paste from step 4. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens, about one minute.

   Uses butter-and-flour paste · First ⅝ cup milk

6. 6

   Step 6: Add the remaining ⅝ cup milk, Dijon mustard (2 tsp), sauce nutmeg (¼ tsp), salt (¼ tsp) and black pepper to the sauce from step 5. Whisk constantly for about 1½–2 minutes, until it coats a spoon thickly, about the consistency of ketchup.

   Uses partly thickened sauce · Remaining ⅝ cup milk · 2 tsp Dijon mustard · ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg for the sauce · ¼ tsp salt · Black pepper, to taste

7. 7

   Step 7: Take the thickened sauce from step 6 off the heat and let it cool for five minutes, then stir in the one-third cup grated Gruyère (⅓ cup).

   Stir cheese into cooled sauce · 5 minUses thickened seasoned white sauce · ⅓ cup grated Gruyère for the sauce

8. 8

   Step 8: Brush all the melted cup butter (2 tbsp) around the edges of the dried bread cups from step 3.

   Uses six dried bread cups in the muffin tin · 2 tbsp melted butter for brushing the cups

9. 9

   Step 9: Divide the ready cooked ham among the buttered cups from step 8. Carefully crack one of the six eggs into each cup.

   Uses six buttered bread cups · 100 g ready cooked leg ham · 6 eggs

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Divide the béchamel cheese sauce from step 7 over the ham-and-egg cups from step 9. Sprinkle each cup with a pinch of the extra grated Gruyère.

    Uses six bread cups with ham and eggs · béchamel cheese sauce · Extra grated Gruyère, a pinch for each cup

11. 11

    Step 11: Bake the filled cups from step 10 for about 18–23 minutes, checking from 18 minutes. Continue until the eggs are cooked through and the centers reach 71°C (160°F); the clock alone does not establish doneness.

    Check toast-cup eggs · 18 minUses filled toast cups with cheese topping

12. 12

    Step 12: Rest the cooked cups from step 11 for a few minutes, then sprinkle them with parsley and freshly grated garnish nutmeg.

    Uses six cooked ham-and-egg toast cups · Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish · Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

13. 13

    Step 13: Carefully lift the garnished cups from step 12 out of the tin and serve immediately, one cup per portion.

    Uses six rested and garnished toast cups