Ham-Spinach Cups
with Hollandaise Sauce

These are a bit unique and fun to eat. I gave a basic ham, spinach, cheddar, and egg recipe, but I'm sure there are a lot of good combinations. Have fun experimenting!

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Line each slot with one piece of ****ham.

Line each slot with one piece of ****ham.

Line each piece of ham with 3-5 spinach leaves with the stem on the bottom.

Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of cheese in the bottom of each.

Crack one egg in the middle of each. Do not salt and pepper at this point or it will form a plastic-like layer on top.

Tent a piece of foil over the top so it's not touching the eggs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Remove foil. Salt and pepper immediately. Remove from muffin tin by gently lifting sides of ham and place on serving dish.

Drizzle hollandaise over the top of each. Serve warm.

Problems

Hollandaise Sauce
See Hollandaise Sauce Problems for trouble with this.

Ham-Spinach Cups
-Do not forget to spray the pan or the ham will stick strongly to it.
-I once prepped these ahead of time and refrigerated them, but the spinach gave it an off flavor. If you don't use the spinach you might be ok to make it ahead.
-Be careful when you crack the egg into the ham. It will of course still taste great if a little egg spills. I just won't look as good.
-Be sure to foil the top or the ham will burn on the edges.
-Don't salt and pepper before baking, it toughens the top.

Ham-Spinach Cups

Makes 12

Hollandaise
6 T unsalted butter
2  egg yolks
1 ½  t lemon juice
1 T cold water
¼ t kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
pinch  of cayenne pepper

Ham-Spinach Cups
12 slices ham (medium thickness)
1/2 c fresh spinach
1/2 c cheddar cheese
12 medium eggs (you can use any size, but medium fits the best)

Preheat oven to 350

Make Hollandaise Sauce as follows and set aside (*keep at room temperature)

Melt butter in microwave and set aside
Fill a pot about 1 inch deep with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
In a **stainless steel bowl, whisk yolks, lemon juice, and water.  Place over pan of ***simmering water and continue to whisk constantly until frothy and pale yellow. If using a thermometer, it should reach 160**** degrees. If not, just above 160 degrees is the point where the eggs start to stick to the sides and solidify like scrambled eggs. Remove the bowl immediately if this starts to happen and whisk constantly. You don't want to scramble them.
Wrap bowl in a warm damp towel and slowly whisk in melted butter.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Transfer to a serving bowl, decorator tube, or a re-usable squeeze bottle. Set aside.

Ham-Spinach Cups
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Line each slot with one piece of ****ham. Line each piece of ham with 4-6 spinach leaves with the stem on the bottom. Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of cheese in the bottom of each. Crack one egg in the middle of each. Do not salt and pepper at this point or it will form a plastic-like layer on top. Tent a piece of foil over the top so it's not touching the eggs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Salt and pepper immediately. Remove from muffin tin by gently lifting sides of ham and place on serving dish. Drizzle hollandaise over the top of each. Serve warm.

*Hollandaise will curdle if refrigerated then re-heated. Make up to an hour before serving.
**I have tried twice to use an aluminum bowl and the sauce curdled. The only stainless steel bowl I have is my kitchen-aid bowl. Even though it's large, it works just fine.
***Make sure the water is simmering not boiling. If it boils, it will cook the mixture too quickly and it won't thicken properly.
****Not only is 160 degrees the temperature at which the eggs emulsify, they are also safe to eat at this point.
*****If you have very large pieces of ham, cut them to fit. If the ham is too small, don't use the whole egg, or it will spill down the sides and be a mess.