Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups

baconeggcupsAdapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 or more

Cooking spray
6 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 slices bacon, preferably thick cut
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 6 standard muffin cups with cooking spray.

With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and with a 4-1/4" cookie cutter, cut into eight rounds. (Now, most of us don't have a cookie cutter that large. Flatten your bread and place your largest round cutter on the bread and use as a guide to cut that size hole. 4-1/4" is pretty much what a piece of sandwich bread will measure when flattened. So, you are essentially cutting the largest round you can minus any crust.) Cut each round in half, then press two halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps on bottom or sides. Brush bread with melted butter.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp (I cooked my bacon in the oven for 6 minutes on 375°F.) The bacon will continue to cook in the oven. Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Place muffin tin on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch any bacon fat. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes.

- Cathy Pollak