The only thing I hate more than a sink full of dirty dishes is WASHING a sink full of dirty dishes. So this “No Washing Up Ham, Egg & Cheese Bread Bowl” post is dedicated to everyone who hates doing the dishes as much as I do!
“Perfect for feeding an army. You can make ahead, eat it with your hands and I swear, there is not a single dish or pan or utensil to be washed!”
In my next life, I hope to be reborn with slim hands and long, elegant fingers instead of pudgy, midget hands. My friends call me “Baby Hands”. Truly! I do everything I can to avoid “hand shots”, but sometimes it just has to be done.
Enough about my Baby Hands, let’s put the focus back on the food. If I wrote this post like my other posts, it would go on for pages as I ranted on and on about why I think these No Washing Up Ham, Egg & Cheese Bread Bowls are so nifty. So I’m going to do both of us a favour and simply list out the pros and cons!
PROS
1. NO WASHING UP – no pots, no pans, no baking tray, no cutting board, no bowls. These are baked wrapped in foil which you need to do otherwise the bread roll burns before the egg cooks. The only kitchen equipment you’ll use is a knife to cut the top off the rolls. If you’re as lazy as me, you’ll just run a dishcloth along the blade and put it right back in the knife rack!
2. FAST TO MAKE – it will take you all of 4 minutes to assemble 4 to pop into the oven. Possibly 3 minutes. And if you like your yolks really runny like I do, these will be out of the oven in 10 minutes.
3. EAT WITH YOUR HANDS – just like a burger!
4. FEED A CROWD – FAST. You can make loads of No Washing Up Ham, Egg & Cheese Bread Bowls in one go – as many as you can fit in your oven!
5. MAKE AHEAD. Yes, you really can! The only thing is to make sure the bread bowls are properly lined with ham to stop the egg from seeping through to the bread. Just assemble completely and wrap with foil, then leave them in the fridge until you need them. Then pop them in the oven!
6. VERSATILE. Get creative! These are pretty boring – just ham, eggs and cheese. Fill it with whatever you want! The only thing to ensure is that you line the bread with ham so the egg doesn’t soak straight into the bread. I tried making these with bacon once but because it is thicker and not as pliable (especially after you fry it), you can’t mould it into the bowl as well so I struggled to make enough space for even an egg, let alone anything else.7. BUDGET. Ham is cheaper than bacon. And you don’t need to use any fancy bread for this. Just ordinary bread rolls. Even stale is fine. Once stuffed and baked, you won’t be able to tell if they are fresh or stale bread.
8. FOOD ON THE GO. Because you can eat this with your hands, it’s great for on the go! I was munching on this while wandering around packing up the props after taking the photo!
9. GREAT FOR A CAMP OUT. Can you imagine how great this would be cooked over a campfire?? Just place it on the edge of the fire near (not on) hot coals. The foil traps the heat well and it will cook in no time!
10. ONLY 339 CALORIES PER SERVING. Believe it. It’s only 1 bread roll, 1 egg, 1 small slice of ham and 2 tbsp of cheese. Actually, I just realised it’s less than 339 calories because I didn’t factor in that the centre of the bread roll is removed.
11. SO, SO TASTY. Why I haven’t put this as #1 is beyond me!
“This is a great way to use up bread rolls that are slightly stale. Once stuffed and baked, no one would ever be able to tell whether the rolls are fresh or not!”
CONS
1. Eerm….no greens? Though I DID add a sprinkle of parsley on the No Washing Up Ham, Egg & Cheese Bread Bowls. Isn’t that enough?
OK, so perhaps I’m being completely pig-headed by not coming up with more cons. I am the excitable type and can get blindsided. So if you’re the sensible type and can think of more “cons”, leave a comment below and I’ll update the list!
Aren’t my wrapping skills shocking? You should see the presents I wrap! Well, you won’t, because I won’t ever be showing you!
Don’t toss the bread you scoop out! Save it to make croutons or breadcrumbs. Or how about this Chicken and Spinach Bread Bake or this Creamy Bacon, Chicken and Broccoli Bread Bake?
Love to hear what you think, or any other suggestions you might have for other fillings! Just leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to respond :). – Nagi x
MORE BREAKFAST EGG RECIPES
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Frittata – the classic done right!
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Shakshouka – baked eggs made exotic
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No Washing Up Ham, Egg & Cheese Bread Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 bread rolls (soft or crusty)
- 4 small slices of ham , or 2 big ones cut in half
- 4 eggs , at room temperature
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Cut the tops off the bread rolls.
- Scoop out the centre and reserve (see notes for ideas to use). To be neat, use a small knife to cut a round outline before scooping out the centre.
- Line the bread bowl with a layer of ham. Try to use one whole piece if you can because then there is less chance of egg seeping through and being soaked up by the bread.
- Crack in an egg.
- Top each with 2 tbsp of mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of parsley (optional).
- Put the top back on each roll. Wrap with foil and place in oven to bake for ~15 to 25 minutes. Take a peek at 20 minutes to check them. 20 minutes = runny yolks. 25 minutes + = just cooked yolks. (See notes for more information)
- Remove from oven, unwrap and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
a) Your oven. Mine is a fan forced oven which cooks food faster than normal ovens.
b) How many you are making - the more you are making, the longer it will take.
c) How thick the bread bowl walls are. The thicker the wall, the longer it will take for the heat to get to the centre of the bread to cook the egg. I made mine quite thin - about 1cm/1/3".
d) The type of bread you are using. A dense bread like a sourdough will take longer. I used soft standard bread rolls.
e) Whether the eggs are at room temperature or are cold, straight out of the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
No Washing Up Ham, Egg and Cheese Bowls recipe video!
I’m wondering if anyone has tried these with almost cooked scrambled eggs? My kids would eat these better without the runny yoke. I’m thinking freezing them would be possible then. Of course, it couldn’t be called a “no-dish” meal:)
I make a similar breakfast bowl with a tube of croissant dough wrapped in small pyrex bowls. The dough is in the bottom and half folds over the top when filled. I pre-cook all the ingredients lightly and assemble. They can be frozen or just prepped the day before. Since they are pre-cooked they freeze easily but are always better fresh in my opinion. I use eggs, bacon or sausage, shredded cheese, garlic powder, and sometimes baby spinach leaves. Bake at 350F till brown. The household begs for them!!
now that’s just showing off, so much better than this one! And with bacon as well?? Jeez, you’ve totally outdone me!
Hi Bev, I’ve never made them with scrambled eggs but they certainly could be and yes, then you could freeze them then just pop them in the oven to heat up! I think that convenience is worth dirtying a pan for! 🙂
I made these this past weekend and they were so delicious – I think this is my husband and I’s new favorite breakfast 😉 Not only were they super tasty, but absolutely no clean-up! Love!
Hey Kathleen, so glad hubby approved!! It’s crazy easy, isn’t it?
I’m with you on the dishes! This is so genius and and I love it – must try immediately!
Thanks Kelly! Hope you enjoy them!
The only slight con is I have to go out and buy the ingredients. I can way live with that! These look delish!
That’s what kids are for…send them*
(*This assumes that a) the child(ren) are old enough to be sent out on such errands and b) you are within easy walking distance of a supermarket. I have 3 within a 10 minute walk)
Ha ha!! So true!! Love that you put the kids to work! I had to earn my pocket money from when I was 5!!!
Ha! That’s so true Anette – that should be the first con I should have listed!!
My kids will love this for breakfast. Can’t wait to make it! Pinned!!
Thanks Nicky! Hope your kids do love this 🙂
I wonder how these would freeze after baking? Would make a great on the go breakfast if you could pop it in the toaster oven to thaw and reheat. Has anyone tried it?
Hi Valerie – they can’t be frozen unfortunately. The egg will go horribly rubbery. But you could assemble it and freeze it before baking but just leave out the egg, then crack in the egg just before putting in the oven to thaw and cook the egg. Hope that helps!
How come you can’t frezze them, because I see cooked eggs in the freezer in the store on pancakes, & English muffins.
Hi Kate! I find that the egg whites of whole cooked eggs become rather rubbery if frozen. The yolk is ok though. I don’t know of any frozen products in Australia with cooked eggs in them so unfortunately I can’t shed any light on that! But perhaps they do something to the eggs before freezing them because I have tested freezing a fried egg and the egg white was really not very nice. 🙂
Maybe if the egg center was scrambled it would be freezable…
I can’t to try this recipe. It looks great for the whole family 🙂
Hi Ashley, yes it is a great one for the whole family! And yes you are bang on, if the egg centre is scrambled then it will freeze fine!
Pure genius! I love this idea! And yes, parsley counts as greens! I’m totally making this for breakfast tomorrow!
This is mouthwatering! Such a cool idea!
Love that shot. Lifting the lid with all the cheese strings galore. These bowls are so so so very cute. I need one or two of these in my life now! Great idea, Nagi!
Thanks Farah!! I could do with one or two of these anytime!
OMG…Nagi, I ain’t even looking at your hands … the main attraction is the bread bowl -it is such a great idea for my son’s sleepover. The kids would totally dig this.
YES it is totally one for the kids!! So glad you didn’t notice my hands….;)
Those are brilliant! Re greens, why not add a couple of arugula or baby spinach leaves.
Kathy, that’s exactly the kind of sensible suggestion I needed!!
This is genius! I can’t wait to try!
Thanks Kristen! The kid’s (and R) with love it, promise! 🙂