Creamy Gruyere and Mushroom Eggs en Cocotte (Mushroom Baked Eggs)

These Creamy Gruyere and Mushroom Eggs en Cocotte rank very highly on my list of PERFECT breakfast/brunch dishes. An incredibly simple dish to prepare, but fancier and more flavorful than you could imagine! Individually and perfectly baked eggs with a runny, golden yolk, nestled in a creamy, herby, spiced mushroom sauce and gooey gruyere cheese, and served with buttery toast for breakfast/brunch perfection! 

In case you guys haven’t noticed, I looooove eggs, and Eggs en Cocotte is one of my favorite ways to eat eggs! I mean, how could it not be? It’s one of the easiest ways to prepare an egg dish, it looks fancy (though it takes a fraction of the effort of a poached egg or hard-boiled egg or an omelette), and it’s brimming with flavor! Eggs en cocotte are simply individually baked eggs, typically in small ramekins, and they are so easy and versatile because you can pair them with all kinds flavorful add-ins.

On a regular morning, I’d make my eggs en cocotte as simple as can be – just eggs, cream, butter and seasoning. But on weekends, I prefer to dress them up a little bit, like this Creamy Gruyere and Mushroom Eggs en Cocotte (Mushroom Baked Eggs) dish that I’m sharing with you guys today! There’s so much flavor in this baked egg dish, and for something that looks fancy and fit for a special occasion or celebration, this recipe is deceptively simple.

When I was younger, I used to eat a cheat version of eggs en cocotte, which was to simply steam the eggs in the microwave with some seasoning. These gruyere and mushroom eggs en cocotte are definitely an upgrade, but not that much more complicated. This was how I introduced eggs en cocotte to K, and it quickly turned into one of his favorite breakfasts as well!

So what’s so special about these Gruyere and Mushroom Eggs en Cocotte?

• At the bottom of each ramekin, you got sauteed sliced mushrooms with thyme, mixed with cream to make a creamy sauce that tastes like concentrated cream of mushroom (but more flavorful!).
• A perfectly cooked egg, with a runny yolk, nestled in that flavor packed mushroom cream.
• Salty, melted, gooey gruyere cheese on top.
• Served with buttery toast to soak up all that delicious creamy mushroom, golden yolk, and cheese.

Talk about a flavor explosion! What I love about this mushroom eggs en cocotte dish is that the cream of mushrooms at the base seasons the whole dish, and as you break the egg yolk, you get a creamy, herby, spiced, mushroom flavored egg yolk. Feel free to switch up the herbs and cheese to suit your preferences for these mushroom baked eggs!

If you want to serve these mushroom baked eggs for a crowd, you can easily multiply the recipe (the cooking time may increase slightly). And instead of baking them in the oven, you could also steam them on a stove top steamer too.

These gruyere and mushroom eggs en cocotte would be perfect for an elegant brunch on a lazy weekend or a celebratory brunch like for Mother’s day. You can prep them ahead of time and then cook them all together in the oven. And you could even go ahead and pair it with this gin and blood orange mimosa for a truly celebratory breakfast/brunch! 🙂

Gruyere and Mushroom Egg en cocotte (Mushroom Baked Eggs)

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Dini

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Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 oz mushrooms cleaned, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 sprig of thyme leaves only
• 1 shallot finely chopped (or ¼ onion, finely chopped)
• 1 - 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt to season
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup of cream
• 2 - 4 tbsp extra cream
• 4 large eggs
• 3 oz shredded gruyere cheese
• salt and pepper to serve
• chopped parsley to serve
• 6 - 8 slices buttered toast to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
2. Butter 4 ramekins and set aside.
3. Heat 4 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium high heat.

4. When the butter has melted, add the shallots, thyme and garlic, and saute for a couple of minutes until the shallots have softened.

5. Add the mushrooms and cayenne pepper. Move the mushrooms around on the skillet to coat them with the spices. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and have absorbed the flavors.

6. Add the balsamic vinegar and ½ cup of cream and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute, until the cream is infused with mushroom flavor. Season with salt if needed.

7. Stir in the extra cream ONLY if the mix seems too dry.

8. Add the mushroom mix into the four prepared ramekins. Crack an egg into each ramekin. Using the handle of a spoon, stir the bottom of the ramekin to mix the mushrooms with the egg whites (be careful not to break the egg yolks).

9. Top each of the ramekins with the gruyere cheese.

10. Boil some water in a kettle for the water bath. Place all the ramekins in a baking pan and transfer the pan into the oven. To create the water bath, carefully pour the water into the baking pan, about half way up the ramekins (making certain to not let the water inside the ramekins!).

11. Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until the egg whites are set, but the yolk is still runny (the egg yolk will be very soft to the touch, but the dish will be set at the edges).

12. Remove from the oven, and then from the water bath. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and chopped parsley. Serve immediately with buttered toast.

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