For most of my life, my idea of a really enjoyable breakfast always included eggs. Scrambled, fried, poached, boiled…it didn’t matter as long as there were eggs on the plate. But, somewhere along the way, my tastes changed. I got to a point that I didn’t like scrambled eggs at all and fried eggs weren’t much better. Truthfully, I think my changing palate toward eggs has a lot to do with the eggs we get from the grocery store these days. They just don’t seem to have much flavor. I started to really notice the difference in eggs when I purchased a dozen free range, local eggs from a little butcher shop down the road. Those eggs were from chickens that had been allowed to roam the barnyard and feed on what chickens naturally like to eat. The yolks were bright orange and the taste! There was just no comparison.

Because I can’t always get free range, local eggs, I’ve been looking for egg dishes that I can enjoy with the more typical grocery store eggs. This recipe for Alpine Eggs precisely fits that bill. And talk about easy! It’s only eggs, cheese, and a little butter, but my word is it good!

I came across this recipe online and after a little research found out that it’s quite old with European origins. It’s known to have appeared in Mrs. Beeton’s which was first published in 1861 and thought to be called “Alpine” because she used Swiss cheese in the recipe. I chose to use half white cheddar and half Swiss in my version and the combination works quite well. I also chose to serve it over toasted pumpernickel bread as an additional nod to its alpine origins. We enjoyed this for a weekend breakfast but it would be perfect for brunch or even for dinner with a little sauteed spinach on the side.

Preheat oven to 350.

Generously butter an ovenproof baking dish.

Evenly distribute half the grated cheese in the bottom of the baking dish.

Crack the eggs one at a time, evenly spaced, over the eggs. Sprinkle each egg with salt and pepper.

Top with remaining cheese making sure each egg is completely covered.

Bake 14-15 minutes for a runny yolk or 16-17 minutes for a more firm yolk.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chives. Serve warm over toast.

Enjoy!

Alpine Eggs

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Lovely melty cheese and runny eggs. Excellent breakfast or brunch dish. A very old European recipe.

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Ingredients

• 1 tblsp. butter
• 6 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• 6 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
• 6 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tblsp. finely chopped chives
• Toast

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter an ovenproof baking dish.
2. Evenly distribute half the grated cheese in the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Crack the eggs one at a time, evenly spaced, over the eggs. Sprinkle each egg with salt and pepper.
4. Top with remaining cheese making sure each egg is completely covered.
5. Bake 14-15 minutes for a runny yolk or 16-17 minutes for a more firm yolk.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chives.
7. Serve warm over toast.

Notes

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 651 Total Fat: 50g Saturated Fat: 27g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 18g Cholesterol: 491mg Sodium: 787mg Carbohydrates: 7g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 1g Protein: 42g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritonix and may not always be perfectly accurate. Use your own judgment.

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