Home » Recipes » Breakfast Recipes » Alpine Eggs

Alpine Eggs

For a delicious main dish for any time of day, try Alpine Eggs, an old European recipe with eggs baked in a mix of delicious cheeses.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
A serving of alpine eggs over toasted pumpernickel bread.

If you’re looking for a delicious egg recipe for breakfast or brunch, try these Alpine Eggs! This an old European recipe with eggs baked in a mix of Swiss and Cheddar cheeses and served over toasted pumpernickel bread.

For most of my life, my idea of a really enjoyable breakfast always included eggs. They might be scrambled, fried, poached, or boiled…it didn’t matter as long as there were eggs on the plate. But, somewhere along the way, my tastes changed.

A serving of alpine eggs over toasted pumpernickel bread.

I started to really notice a difference in the taste of eggs when I purchased a dozen free range, local eggs from a little butcher shop near me. 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 we can’t always get free range, local eggs, I’ve been looking for egg dishes that I can enjoy with the more readily available 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!

This is an old recipe with European origins. It’s known to have appeared in Mrs. Beeton’s which was first published in 1861 and is thought to be called “Alpine” because she used Swiss cheese in the recipe.

We always enjoy this for a weekend breakfast but it would also be perfect for brunch or dinner.

🥘 Ingredients You’ll Need


  • ButterThe butter not only prevents the cheese from sticking to the baking dish, it also adds a little flavor to the finished recipe.
  • White Cheddar and Swiss CheesesThese are my personal choice. Choose any semi-hard cheese that grates easily.
  • EggsAs fresh as possible.
  • Salt and PepperUse both to taste. A light sprinkle is all that’s needed. The cheese itself will be salty.
  • ChivesThey’re optional but highly recommended. Not only do they add some much needed color to the presentation, they do impart a light onion-y flavor.
  • Bread of ChoiceUse any bread you like. Plain white, whole wheat, pumpernickle, rye are all good choices.

🔪 How to Make Alpine Eggs


Preheat the oven to 350.

A heavily buttered baking dish.

Generously butter an ovenproof baking dish or gratin dish.

Half the cheese mixture in the bottom of a baking dish.

Mix the two grated cheeses together and evenly distribute half in the bottom of the baking dish.

Raw eggs placed on top of the cheese layer; each egg sprinkled with salt and pepper.

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

Remaining cheese added on top of raw eggs.

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

Baking dish of eggs and cheese after cooking.

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

Toasted bread on a plate with cooked eggs in the background.

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

❗ Recipe Tips


  • For variety, add a cup of cooked, drained spinach around the eggs in the second layer.
  • For an Italian flair, add cooked tomato and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning to the egg layer with a sprinkle of Parmesan added to the top.
  • Use all Swiss or all Cheddar cheese.
  • Both Emmental and Gruyere cheese are delicious in this recipe.

🍚 Storage


This recipe is best enjoyed fresh and hot from the oven. However, leftovers can be carefully stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for a day. Reheat in a very low oven.

A serving of alpine eggs over toasted pumpernickel bread.

🧾 More Egg Recipes on Lana’s Cooking


HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?

I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!

WE’RE ON FACEBOOK, TOO!
If you’d like to hang out with lots of other Southern Comfort Food lovers, make sure to join my FREE PRIVATE Facebook group.

📖 Recipe

A serving of alpine eggs over toasted pumpernickel bread.

Alpine Eggs

For a delicious main dish for any time of day, try Alpine Eggs, an old European recipe with eggs baked in a mix of delicious cheeses.
5 from 1 vote
Print It Rate It Save
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course
Cuisine: European
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 351kcal
Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese grated
  • 6 ounces Swiss cheese grated
  • 6 eggs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
  • 6 slices whole wheat toast (or your choice of bread)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter an ovenproof baking dish.
  • Mix the two grated cheeses together and evenly distribute half in the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Crack the eggs one at a time, evenly spaced, over the cheese. 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.

Notes

  • This recipe is best enjoyed fresh and hot from the oven. However, leftovers can be carefully stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for a day. Reheat in a very low oven.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 351kcal | Carbohydrates 14g | Protein 22g | Fat 22g | Saturated Fat 13g | Cholesterol 220mg | Sodium 426mg | Potassium 139mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 2g | Vitamin A 800IU | Vitamin C 1mg | Calcium 482mg | Iron 2mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Follow @LanasCookingBlog or tag #LanasCooking!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




20 Comments

  1. I have some questions please!
    You are using sharp white cheddar cheese along with Swiss cheese.
    the recipe says to sprinkle cheese in bottom of dish, does that mean both cheese? Does not say one way or another.

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

    Should that be crack the eggs one at a time, evenly spaced, over the cheese???

    Thank you in advance.

    1. Mix the grated cheeses together and sprinkle half over the bottom. The other half of the mixed cheeses goes over the top. Obviously, it should read to crack the eggs over the cheese. I’ll correct the typo.

  2. Fresh eggs do taste different—as in better. What a simple dish that is simply wonderful. I love love love eggs. I eat a lot of them., without any health issues too. I think they are one of the perfect foods.

  3. I have chickens so my eggs are tasty, but always looking for a new way to prepare and serve them. This looks like a winner winner chicken egg dinner!

  4. My brother started raising chickens a few years ago and we’ve been lucky enough to get fresh eggs when we visit him. The difference really is amazing compared to the grocery store eggs! This looks delicious!

    1. There’s just no comparison, is there, Martha? I enjoy getting the farm raised, free range ones when I can but it’s not very often.

  5. I always have to start my day with some deliciously cooked eggs so this recipe is perfect for me. Thanks for sharing it, you can definitely consider that I will be making these alpine style eggs.

  6. Now that’s an egg dish that I could eat! I’m with you, I don’t care for scrambled eggs but I love fried!

  7. Every year on Christmas morning we host some family for breakfast and I think this would be amazing to serve this year. I love that it’s easy to make and can bake away while we are doing other things.

  8. This dish makes me willing to give eggs another try. Maybe that’s why I don’t like them – lack of taste! I’m going to pin this so I can try it soon!