This is better than an omelet. That’s what my wife Molly said about this delightful and simple cast-iron-pan meal. And I agree so very much! You take a bite and you get tastes of butter, cream, salty ham, topped off with the flavor of lightly cooked eggs. It is perfection.

The Ham & Eggs Skillet, a recipe I found through Better Homes & Gardens magazine and made slight adjustments to, is such a #FoodieScore that Molly also said it’s the kind of dish you’d expect to get on a restaurant’s brunch menu. We first made it with the final pieces of leftover spiral ham from Thanksgiving weekend. Then we made it again with leftover ham from Christmastime.

Like some of my other favorite recipes to make, you can create this skillet all in one dish, with one exception. It’s best to crack your eggs into individual small dishes to then gently transfer them into your cast-iron pan. That will ensure you don’t get any shell pieces in your skillet, and it will help you more carefully space apart your eggs.

As far as the seasonings go, you can take your own liberties with what you like. (Better Homes & Gardens used a leek, basil and Gruyere cheese in its recipe. I used oregano, chives and cheddar cheese.) Whatever you choose, just have fun with it, then dig in and savor the beautiful combination of flavors. We’ll be making this skillet again and again.

The recipe is below. This tweet shares a video of us cooking the dish.

 

Baked Ham & Eggs Skillet

What You Need:

2 tablespoons butter

½ to 1 cup chopped, cooked ham

5 to 6 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

¼ to ½ cup shredded or crumbled cheese (your choice)

2 tablespoons basil (You can also use oregano, like we did.)

1 teaspoon chives

Salt and pepper to taste

 

What You Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Crack eggs into individual dishes for easy and gentle transfer to skillet.

3. In your cast-iron skillet (or another dish that is safe for stovetop and oven use), melt butter.

4. Add chopped, already-cooked ham and heat for 3 to 5 minutes. (If you do choose to use a leek, add about ¼ cup chopped. You want it to soften slightly before adding other ingredients.)

5. Gently pour each egg into the skillet, spacing yolks apart.

6. Drizzle cream around eggs.

7. Sprinkle with cheese and desired seasonings.

8. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. For runnier eggs, go 5 minutes. For more-done yolks, go 7 minutes.

9. Let stand 5 minutes after removing from oven before serving.

10. Use a non-slotted spatula to divide and transfer eggs and ham to plates.

You can expect this recipe to serve two to four people, depending on whether it is the entire meal or is just part of a meal. We served ours with simple slices of toast, topped with our homemade apple butter.