Baked Ham and Egg Cups
This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Ham and Egg Cups might just blow your mind. They did mine. With only three main ingredients, this high-protein dish could be one of the easiest breakfast, lunch, or dinner recipes ever.
I’ll be honest. When I first tested this Ham and Egg Cups recipe, I thought for sure it’d be a flop. I mean…just 3 ingredients? That’s gonna be boring. And, would they freeze for later? Ah, heck nah.
Well, I was dead wrong. I repent of my arrogant, foodie ways. Ham and Egg Cups proved to be a true winner around our Thriving Home team’s homes. Whitney Reist, our food photographer, said her husband loved them. Context is important here: Whitney is a trained chef, so her husband is used to really good food.
With that being said, I hereby introduce you to one of our favorite 3-ingredient recipes ever…Baked Ham and Egg Cups.
Ingredients Needed
Here are all the ingredients you need to make Baked Egg Cups:
- Cooking spray
- Deli sliced ham (I look for uncured ham. I don’t recommend using honey ham for this one.)
- Eggs
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Although similar to our Easy Breakfast Casserole Muffins, these were faster and required fewer ingredients.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Line each muffin cup with a slice of ham (or two slices, if they are small) to form the cup that the egg will rest in.
3) Crack and add one egg to each slice of ham. (Note: If you prefer scrambled eggs, you can whisk the eggs with a little milk in a glass measuring cup with spout and then pour the mixture evenly into the muffin cups.)
4) Then top each egg with a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese.
Btw, this is a great recipe for a kid to help with. My daughter used to love helping me make these when she was little. Awww, I miss those preschool years!
5) Lastly, bake for 15-17 minutes. If you use a metal muffin tin, it will take about 15 minutes. If you use a silicone muffin tin, it will take a little longer.
Can You Freeze Egg Cups?
These egg cups actually freeze better than we thought they would! I froze a whole batch of fully cooked and cooled ones and ate on them for a few weeks. The texture wasn’t altered much, if any at all.
To freeze the egg cups, place them in a freezer bag in a single layer, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal, and then freeze flat.
When you’re ready to eat them, it’s best to defrost them in the refrigerator overnight, if you have time. If not, use the defrost setting on the microwave. Then, warm them up in 20-second increments in the microwave. Don’t overcook them!
Other Ingredient Add-In Ideas
While our team really enjoyed this 3-ingredient recipe “as is”, you can definitely add other ingredients for more nutrition or flavor. Here are a few ideas of ingredients to sprinkle on top of the egg before adding the cheese:
- Baby spinach, finely chopped
- Bacon, fully cooked and crumbled
- Bell pepper and onions, diced and sautéed (or you can cook these in the microwave with a little oil until softened, 4-5 minutes)
- Chives, finely chopped
- Fresh herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, or oregano, finely chopped
How to Serve Baked Ham and Egg Cups
While these are tasty warm (or even cold) on their own, you can also serve them on a toasted English muffin perhaps with some hot sauce on top. Or, if you’re my daughter, you’ll add ketchup on top. 😉
Some side dishes that go well with these Eggs Cups include:
- Any of our 7 Smoothie recipes
- Classic Fruit Salad (i.e. a mix of cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, etc)
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Oatmeal Pancakes or Pumpkin Pancakes
- A light salad like our Strawberry Fields Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Load up on eggs, ham, and cheese and pop these puppies in the oven soon. You’ll be so happy to have them on hand for busy mornings or quick lunches.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Baked Ham and Egg Cups
With only three main ingredients, Ham and Egg Cups are one of the simplest breakfast recipes you can find. They are like perfect, mini, individual egg casseroles.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 12 large slices (or 24 small slices) deli ham (look for uncured, all-natural ham; avoid the honey ham for this recipe)
- 12 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Line each muffin cup with 1-2 slices of ham.
- Crack one egg into each muffin cup. (Optional: You can also scramble the eggs with a splash of milk in a separate bowl before adding to the muffin tins, if you prefer scrambled eggs.)
- Top each egg with 2 tablespoons of cheese.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the egg is set in the middle. Let cool slightly and enjoy!
Freeze For Later: Bake the Ham and Egg Cups as directed in recipe and let cool completely. Then, place them in a gallon-sized freezer bag or container in a single layer, squeeze out any air, seal, and freeze flat.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or pop in the microwave for a quick defrost. Then, warm in the microwave in 20-second increments until warmed through.
Top 7 Overnight Oats Recipes & Cheat Sheet
We’ll send all 7 of our popular overnight oats recipes, so you can have them in one place. Download and print it for free!
Made these for my picky eaters for breakfast and they loved them. Such an easy recipe to throw together and to have on hand for busy mornings. I served them in toasted & buttered English muffins and gave them a little smoosh so the egg cups distributed nice and evenly. Thanks so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review! I’m excited this worked so well for your picky people. It’s a great short cut to breakfast sandwiches!
If I was going to scramble them how much should I fill in each cup thank you.
I would scramble all 12 eggs with a splash of milk. Then, evenly distribute to all the muffin tins until about 3/4th of the way filled.
Does the cheese help protect the egg and keep it moist? Could I leave it out? I am allergic to all dairy but would love an easy egg dish to go for busy weekday mornings.
I think it would work just fine to not put the cheese on. It’s just there because it tastes good. 🙂
Made these over the weekend – put hashbrowns, turkey sausage, quinoa, cheese and whisked 4 eggs to fit in 6 muffins. My kids, and husband, loved them. Thanks for sharing!
These were an awesome way to use up the leftover ham I bought last weekend thinking my guests were bigger lunchmeat eaters than apparently they were. 🙂 I diced some tomato into a few and that was divine for me since I love tomato in my eggs. I might try some peppers in a few for Kevin next time. I can see how they would taste better fresh, but I made a whole pan, so I'll either reheat for a couple days out of the fridge or try freezing. I am thinking that the reheated versions might be better on English muffins. We'll see. 🙂
Rockin. Thanks for the quick response!
Good question. The short answer is yes. Although I haven't tried freezing these yet, I freeze the breakfast casserole muffins all the time. You can reheat them in the microwave from frozen for maybe a minute or two. The caveat is that they don't taste as good as when fresh or even being warmed up after a day or two in the fridge. I would say breakfast burritos freeze and rewarm better. I'll try to post that recipe soon, if I get permission from my friend.
Do these freeze?? Like can I make a pan and freeze and thaw a few at a time?
Thanks for sharing, Rachel! This looks great.
Oooo! I was just thinking that I need some quick and easy breakfast ideas. I do like the breakfast casserole muffins, and the savory breakfast muffins, but I'm all for fewer ingredients and fewer pans!!