I first made these for brunch when we were living in Seattle. I thought they should be called “eggs in a nest” or something cute like that. Unfortunately, when we sat down for breakfast John and Dave kept saying things like “What are we having, ham balls?” “Where’d you come up with these ham balls?” and “Good ham balls”. So, that is their name now.
Helen
Optional Filling
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 10 ounces mushrooms
- 1 shallot
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ham balls:
- 1 – 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced deli ham
- 8 eggs
- Heavy cream
- Salt and pepper
Make filling: Finely chop mushrooms and shallot. In large saucepan, melt butter. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook until mushrooms have cooked and all the liquid has evaporated. Add flour and cook for a minute. Add whole milk and spinach and cook until spinach is cooked and milk has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If not using the filling, just skip this step.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Fit 1-2 pieces of ham into the cups of a muffin tin – try not to rip the ham. Spoon 1 tablespoon mushroom filling into each ham cup. Break one egg into each. Pour 1 teaspoon heavy cream over the egg.
Bake for 15 minutes, until the egg is soft set.
Spencer Family Cookbook 