If you love Caprese salad as much as I do, get your fix at breakfast with these Caprese-style Baked Eggs! Though I bake this, you can just as easily make it on the stove too – and it’s faster. I’ve provided directions for both methods in the instructions.
Caprese salad is a brilliant example of Italian genius-ness: combining a few simple ingredients that go together so well it makes you want to do the happy dance with every bite. Just tomato, buffalo mozzarella/bocconcini, basil and balsamic vinegar. I’m in the syrupy balsamic camp, but plain is fine too!
I make Caprese salad on platters to serve as a shared appetizer. I thread it onto skewers for finger food. I make toasted sandwiches, toss it through pasta. I even stuff it into chicken breast – have you tried that before? Mmmm….it is SO GOOD!
How is it that it was only a few weeks ago that I thought to have it for breakfast in baked egg form??
Beans in a fragrant tomato sauce with fresh bursts of basil. Eggs gently baked in the sauce, topped with beautifully blistered cherry tomatoes. Bocconcini cheese – some melted, some fresh. A scattering of fresh basil, a drizzle of syrupy balsamic and…..woah…..
Breakfast Caprese. With the added bonus of runny yolk to dip your crusty bread in. 😉
(And let’s just get the obvious out of the way – that’s not my Baby Hands. It’s my mother’s. Pity she didn’t pass her hand-genes down to me. 😆)
I had a very fleeting moment when I fretted that these Caprese Baked Eggs looked “too messy” to share. But you know what? I have never and will never choose my recipes based on how pretty they are.
It might look a mess, but this is a beautiful mess.
What a way to start a Sunday morning!
Stay in your PJ’s. Bottomless coffee. Who needs to go to out to a posh bistro for brunch? – Nagi x
MY FAVOURITE BREKKI/BRUNCHY EGG RECIPES
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Healthy Egg Muffins – grab ‘n go brekki!
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Shakshuka (Middle Eastern Baked Eggs)
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Frittata – a classic everyone should know!
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Quiche Lorraine (must try at least once!)
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Caprese Baked Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ small onion , diced (brown, white or yellow)
- 14 oz / 400g can cannellini beans (or other beans of choice)
- 14 oz / 400g can crushed tomato
- ¼ cup chicken broth/stock (or water)
- 1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs , dried (Note 1 for substitution)
- ½ tsp sugar (optional) (Note 2)
- Salt and pepper
- 7 oz / 200g cherry tomatoes (1/2 punnet)
- ½ cup (packed) basil leaves roughly torn
- 6 oz / 180g bocconcini , sliced OR buffalo mozzarella, torn (Note 3)
- 4 eggs
Balsamic Syrup
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Salt
To Serve
- Toasted crusty bread slices
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180C/350F. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Add garlic and onion and sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add cannellini beans, tomato, chicken broth, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, turn down heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Stir through HALF the basil.
- Make dents in the mixture using the back of a wooden spoon. Crack eggs into the dent. Top with cherry tomatoes and most of the bocconcini around the eggs.
- Transfer to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until whites are just set but yolks are still runny (or to taste).
- Sprinkle over remaining basil and bocconcini cheese. Either drizzle the Balsamic Syrup over in the skillet or serve on the side for people to help themselves. Serve with crusty bread!
Balsamic Syrup
- Place balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt in a small frypan or saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to simmer then turn down to medium. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until syrupy. It's ready when your spatula leaves a path when you run it across the bottom of the frypan. Set aside until required. Use hot or at room temperature - it thickens as it cools.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Mode 1 of 4: sleeping. (The other 3 modes are: playing, eating, hoping to eat)
A yummy way to use up some of our eggs during the chicken’s busy season 😄
Hi Nagi would I be able to make this up to the egg stage for my lunch box and then cook the eggs at work I only have access to a microwave
Hi Kym! I wouldn’t recommend trying to cook raw eggs in the sauce in the microwave. I suggest you make the complete dish, then scoop the eggs from the sauce and store them separate. Heat the sauce at work until hot, then add your cooked eggs back in, and keep heating until the eggs are just hot enough too. The yolks won’t be totally runny but they shouldn’t be way overcooked either. Good luck! –Nx
Thank you Nagi for the tips..not sure this batch will even make it to work everyone at home is enjoying them so much
We have chickens so always looking at creative ways to use the eggs (also had some cannellini beans) and this recipe did not disappoint! We had it for dinner and I ended up making the making the sauce and then placing it into a small baking dish and then cracking in 2 eggs and baked in the oven! Was great as the following night we had leftovers and didn’t have to worry about the eggs being overcooked etc.
My husband has requested I make this numerous times. Keep up the great recipes!!
Thanks xx
This looks absolutely fabulous!! Seems I like to make such a delicious baked egg recipes. This is the first time I made it for my family. It turned out excellent. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Trine! N xx
I tried this on the weekend, and thought there was perhaps a bit too much liquid and not enough flavour. I can see it being really good, but was wondering if there were any pointers to reduce the liquid and pump up the flavour. Do you think the stock really adds to it or is that killing the basil and herb mix?
The KFC chicken worked amazingly though, so half way there!!
Cheers,
Yum!!! I used half of a chicken stock cube without water and it was just right. Will definitely make again, perhaps with chorizos. Thanks Nagi x
Ok, I know this is SUPPOSED to be a meat free recipe, but I changed it. I replaced the eggs with chicken and it came out amazingly good!
Here is what I did:
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts (thighs would work too), gave them a dusting with salt, pepper & garlic powder then sauted them until nicely browned (but not fully cooked through). I set them aside, and followed the rest of the recipe until you add in the eggs….this is where I added in the chicken. I made sure to add in the juices from the chicken to the sauce (you can’t discard that yumminess). The last of the instructions remained the same and it came out BEAUTIFULLY and really good. I served over Olive Oil & Garlic Couscous!
If anyone else wants to try this – go for it. You won’t be disappointed.
A few tips: If using chicken breasts, and they are quite large & thick, I would suggest cutting them in half. Do not use garlic salt – as you cannot control the salt content that way and you will likely end up with an overly salty dish. For those of you who like a little ‘kiss’ of heat, you can add in a small amount of Cayenne Pepper while the sauce is simmering…and you are adjusting the flavor and herbs to your liking.
Woo hoo! Love the changes you made to this – YUM!!!! So Caprese Chicken! I think you’ve give me yet ANOTHER idea Deborah…… N x
Nagi, I’m so happy you liked this changes I made, and that I can inspire you! I LOVE to cook, and I dabble quite a bit. I love big bold flavors…but I also like to keep it simple. Your recipes give me just that and inspire me too.
Ohh I also want to tell you that when I made this dish, I had a total of 6 pieces of chicken (3 chicken breasts cut in half – enough for me for a week of meals). I still had one left when my boyfriend came home (he was on a week long trip) and fed it to him. He LOVED IT!
A week of fast food and restaurants…he really wanted a home cooked meal and couldn’t stop saying “Mmmm!!!” as he was eating it.
Thank YOU so much for the inspiration! Happy COOKING!
Deb
Loved this! Was the perfect Sunday Brunch Thank You, I might add some Swiss brown mushrooms next time ?
I’m so glad you love this too Leanne! Thank you so much for letting me know! N x
Wow these look so yummy! My mouth is watering just looking at your photos.
Thank you so much!!
Don’t wait for breakfast – we have just enjoyed for DINNER ?
Totally yum – to suit our taste buds next time I would add a little fried chorizo for spice and hotness. Also think the tinned tomatoes could be drained before adding to the pan to reduce some if the liquid.
Thanks Nagi – this one is definitely going in my recipe folder ?
Oooh….chorizo is the best addition to this!!! I wanted to include it but I’ve done so many chorizo recipes, I thought I better do something different!! 🙂
Ahhhh baked eggs is my fave at the moment – I normally make a middle-eastern style one with dukkah/cumin/paprika/feta/coriander though, so I love the sound of your caprese style version. Will definitely have to try it to change up my baked egg routine!! and crusty bread?? OMG.
ME TOO! Shakshuka style!
These don’t look messy, they look awesome! I love the caprese flavour combo, and for breakfast with eggs? Amazing!
Isn’t Caprese just DA BOMB??!!
Nagi, could you make the recipe up to instruction 3 and then keep it in the fridge and use on an ‘as wanted’ basis adding the eggs etc. when you are ready to cook it? I’m thinking if only one portion was needed for breakfast, I could use a quarter of the recipe but if I needed two portions, I could use half the recipe.
You sure can Leslie! You could scoop out the tomato sauce into smaller containers and just crack an egg right in there! 🙂
Love everything about this. I enjoy all the flavors – love that you added the beans – and what is better than sauce with eggs and toast! This is a stellar breakfast!!
Thank you Monica!❤️
This does look amazing, Nagi! I’m not waiting till the weekend though. Tomorrow would be just perfect. 🙂
I know, right? ?
It’s everything breakfast is begging for. DIVINE!
Who needs to go OUT???!!!
OMG it looks seriously amazing. Anything with basil and mozzarella is a big big winner for me but the idea of using them with eggs is just brilliant. I eat eggs for breakfast almost every morning so I’ll definitely try your recipe for sure 🙂 And you’re right, it’s a very beautiful mess and your pictures are mouthwatering! Nom nom nom
Thanks so much Marie-Charlotte!!!! BRING ON MESSY FOOD!
I absolutely HAVE to make this for brunch soon! What a wonderful idea! I love baked eggs AND the caprese combo, so this is right up my alley. Can’t wait to try this ASAP! 😀
YES YOU DO!!! <3
Messy rules in my book, Nagi.
And anyway, I think this looks gorgeous, especially in that beautiful bowl.
Love the addition of the beans. What a perfect breakfast!
You’re right, the BEST food is the messiest!!!
A stunning mess I say lol, gorgeous and I love runny yolks! So pretty with the tomatoes on the vine. I think I have everything at home for Sunday brunch 🙂
Runny yolks are DA BOMB!!! 🙂
This looks so so good!! I know I would love it 🙂
Thanks hun!!! 🙂