These eggs remind me of summer. Sweet fresh tomatoes are encircled with the brilliant flavor of fresh basil. There’s slightly sweet roasted garlic, which I have been obsessed with lately, blended with rich heavy cream — a nod to winter. And the warmth of the baked dish make it perfect for a chilly morning. Or dinner.

I feel in love with baked eggs in tomato-based concoctions last winter. Runny yolks are always a favorite of mine, but even more so when they are paired with flavors that compare, contrast and compliment them. And it’s a great bonus that there are so many possibilities for flavor combinations. This seemed like the perfect dish to make when Betty Crocker and Land O’Lakes recently asked me to create something with Land O’Lakes eggs.

This version is a favorite since it uses so many fresh ingredients (and, of course, fresh flavors). There is just no contest when you start with ingredients in as close to a natural state as you can get. I bet this would be even more amazing in fall, when fresh tomatoes and basil from local farms are available and the air just starts to take on that crisp coolness.

But for now, hothouse tomatoes do the job just fine.

Want to try this for yourself? It’s easy.

Start by gathering and preparing your ingredients. It’s seven simple things (plus salt and pepper) — easy as can be. You’ll need to dice the tomatoes and chop the basil. Also, you need to combine the heavy cream and roasted garlic.

Layer it in the small oven-safe pan. Tomatoes and basil first, egg second, garlicky cream third.

Sprinkle it with freshly grated parmesan.

Then bake it.

Try this dish for breakfast in bed, with some buttered whole grain toast and fresh orange juice. You can thank me later.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy eggs?

Baked Eggs with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes and Basil
serves 1

1 large fresh tomato, diced (about 1 heaping cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cloves roasted garlic
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small oven-safe bowl rectangular pan (about 6x4x1-inches), combine the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir well.

Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, combine the roasted garlic and heavy cream and whirl until mixed.

Crack the egg into a bowl and then pour into the oven-safe bowl or pan over the tomatoes. Drizzle the heavy cream mixture over it. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the egg white is set.

Remove from the oven. Enjoy!

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Disclosure: I am being compensated by Land O’Lakes and Betty Crocker for this recipe and post. All opinions expressed are my own.

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More from Sarah W. Caron of Sarah’s Cucina Bella

• Roasted Confetti Hash on Tablespoon
• Easy Mocha Latte on Tablespoon
• Slow Cooker Brisket Tacos on Betty Crocker

When I look at this photo, all I can think is good morning. It’s so inviting. All the contrasting textures and flavors … Wait. Let me tell you about it. Looking is one thing, but hearing is a whole other.

The simple roasted potatoes — both russet and sweet varieties — seasoned only with a little salt and pepper have a slightly crispy outside and silky inside. They’re mixed with rounds of sweet-slightly savory chicken apple sausage, which has such a warm flavor. Then it’s all bound together by the perfect runny poached egg — the kind that has a velvety ooze of yolk that spills out when you dig your fork into it.

I love poached eggs. They are blissful, compact, perfect lumps of egg that spill over so willingly when you dig in. Oh, the joy.

And it was the thought of poached eggs and roasted potatoes – no two kinds of roasted potatoes – and chicken sausage that got me so excited to get to work. In fact, I was so busy mentally calculating the recipe that I nearly missed the exit I needed to take on the highway. Yes, really. But it was totally worth it. It’s the kind of dish that wraps its arms around you and makes everything okay again.

This dish seemed perfect for a blogging gig I was recently given. My friends at Betty Crocker asked me to create an eggy recipe using Land O’Lakes eggs, and I jumped at it. Eggs are huge in our house — a favorite of my breakfast-devoted daughter. We go through about two dozen eggs every week in my house.

Breakfast in our house is kind of a big deal. I mean it should be, being the most important meal of the day and all. But it is really something in our house. Epic, at times, which is surprising since I was a reluctant breakfast convert. Will started the breakfast change in our house — but it was Paige who brought a deep breakfast devotion to the house.

She loved this one, by the way.

Having breakfast has become so important, so crafting balanced meals like this is a must for me. This one is best for weekends (it takes about 40 minutes), and is worth every cooking second.

Do you love breakfast? How do you take your eggs?

Roasted Two Potato and Sausage Hash with Poached Egg
serves 2

1/2 lb russet potatoes
1/2 lb sweet potatoes
Cooking oil spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 chicken apple sausage links (not breakfast sausage – the thick links)
2 large eggs (such as Land O’Lakes Cage Free)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (or parchment paper).

Slice the russet and sweet potatoes into roughly 1”x1”x1/4” pieces. Spread out on the baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Once the oven is heated, slide the baking sheet in and roast for 20 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, slice the chicken sausages into 1/4”-thick slices. Add to the baking sheet and stir gently before spreading out on the sheet. Return to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes.

Bring a pan of water to boil on the stove (about 2” deep of water). Reduce the heat to medium (hint: give it a minute before proceeding for the water to stop boiling so much) and add the cracked eggs to the pan (it helps if you crack them into a small bowl first and then slide in the yolk and white). Cook for 4 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon.

To serve: Divide the potato and sausage mixture evenly among two plates. Top each with a poached egg.

Serve immediately.

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Disclosure: I was compensated for my time by Land O’Lakes/Betty Crocker for the development and creation of this blog post and recipe. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

The first time I set foot on Barnard College’s campus, I fell instantly in love. At the time, I was living near Lincoln Center, amid the hustle-bustle of the city. I loved that area, and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. But when I emerged from the subway at 116th Street, it was like walking into a different world — a village within the city. Something just clicked for me.

I was still in the city, still close to everything, but the pace of life in Morningside Heights was a little slower … a little more suburban. And as I learned more about the school itself, I decided it was perfect. Just perfect.

Three months later, I moved into a dorm at Barnard. It was the spring semester, and although I was so excited to be there, I was also nervous and a little shy about everything. Thank goodness for good roommates. I lived with four people — three girls and a guy — and they were all so inviting and nice. Even when I wasn’t sure how to befriend them, they dragged me out and included me.

Two of those roommates are still among my closest friends, more than 10 years later.

Those same wonderful roommates also introduced me to the amazing world of Korean cuisine. If I close my eyes, I can take myself back to that first encounter. I was a little scared (new food! eek!) and a little apprehensive. But I asked my friends what I should try and took their advice.

The only problem with this whole thing? I loved that dish so much that I have never had anything else Korean. That first dish turned out to be an amazing, life-altering flavor experience. It was Bi Bim Bap (or bibimbap), a rice dish, sometimes served in a hot stone pot. Warm veggies, often sauteed and lightly seasoned, top the rice and then there is a fried egg on top of it all. Sometimes it’s served with beef too. Then you add some red chili paste. Oh, it’s divine.

At the restaurant we used to go to near the Barnard and Columbia campus, they would bring out these steaming hot stone pots, and we’d stir them vigorously, adding copious amounts of the red chili paste. It was a thrilling flavor experience. Every bite, from the tender beginnings to the crispy rice at the bottom of the bowl, was fabulous.

Unfortunately, I don’t often get back to that restaurant (or any other Korean restaurant), since I live and work in Connecticut, where there is a definitive lack of Korean cuisine. Yes, there are a few restaurants in New Haven and Hartford, but none are close enough to my house to warrant a trip.

Fortunately, I am all about adapting favorite dishes to be more accessible, and this one was perfect for that.

I’ve traded the hot stone pot (really, folks, that’s awesome at the restaurant, but not so much at home) for a more sensible bowl. The veggies are narrowed to just a few and served mostly raw. The egg is poached, instead of fried, since I find poached eggs easier to make. But the resulting dish? Absolutely divine. In fact, when I served it to Will and Paige (minus the Sriracha), they loved it. And Will begged for me to make some for his lunch the next day for school.

So, how do you make this Bi Bim Bap wanna-be dish ultra simple? It’s all in the prep.

• Make the rice first. I use a rice cooker, and it takes about an hour.
• Once the rice is nearly done, julienne-cut the veggies. This can be done really fast if you use a food processor fitted with a julienne blade or a mandolin fitted with a julienne blade.
• Use frozen chopped spinach. Simply heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and add two crushed cloves of garlic. Stir in the spinach, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring twice.
• Have all the veggies cooked and ready when you slide the eggs into the water for poaching.

Korean-Inspired Rice Bowl
serves 4

4 cups cooked white rice
2-3 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 cup chopped spinach, sauteed with two cloves garlic
4 large eggs, poached
Sriracha, to taste

Divide the rice evenly among four bowls. Top with carrots, yellow pepper, sauteed spinach and one poached egg each. Drizzle with Sriracha (if desired), and stir vigorously to combine.

Serve immediately.

Over the past few years, I have made a big effort to eat breakfast. And lately, that has turned into an effort to eat a good, nutritious breakfast. Somewhere along the way, I stopped hating most eggs, and started really enjoying them in a variety of forms.

But I couldn’t seem to get on the egg white bandwagon. The whole idea of it just horrified me. I mean, eggs without yolks? That’s blasphemy. Every time I read about egg white omelets, I shuddered a little. I mean really … unless you need to, why would you really want to eat eggs sans the flavorful yolks? But, I don’t believe in pickiness. Not one bit. So, when I was in the grocery store this weekend, I decided to try it. Just once.

Hello, egg white carton, nice to meet you!

So … what’s the verdict?

While I have no plans of actually giving up eggs with yolks – I couldn’t do that to my loves egg salad, poached eggs, baked eggs, etc – I have discovered that egg whites can make a fabulous omelet. I mean, a really easy, fast, delicious, beautiful, tasty omelet.

Like this one.

It’s filled with fresh baby spinach and cheddar cheese. Now, cheddar is definitely not the most waist-conscious choice, but it’s my favorite and since I am already cutting back on the calories and fat by using only egg whites, it’s okay. I think.

In any case, serve this with a slice of whole grain toast (maybe with a little itsy bitsy bit of butter) and a little fruit. It’s perfect, filling and easy enough to make any day of the week if you allot a little time.

What do you think? Could you do just egg whites?

Spinach and Cheddar Egg White Omelet
serves 1

1/3 cup egg whites
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup baby spinach

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the egg whites and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cook until mostly set. Sprinkle about half of the cheese onto half of the omelet. Top with spinach and sprinkle with the remainder of the spinach. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Fold the untopped half over and press with a spatula to seal. Serve immediately.

In the summertime, we eat only fresh tomatoes — tiny ones that the kids pick directly from the vines on our backyard. Giant heirlooms from local organic farms. Red ones, orange ones, yellow ones and green ones … Sometimes it’s just plain. Sometimes with a little sprinkle of salt. Sometimes with cheese and vinaigrette.

Yes, we love our tomatoes.

So, when winter rolls around, we aren’t quick to give up our tomatoes. Some years, I put up homemade sauce and paste to use all year. But this year, there was no time. So, canned tomatoes it is.

And as it turns out, there might be some good news about using canned tomatoes. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition more than a decade ago says that the body absorbs two to three times more lycopene from canned tomatoes as they do from raw ones. Why is that good? Well, lycopene is one of those heart-healthy nutrients that is so, so good for you.

Why am I talking about this? Well, ConAgra recently released research finding from a study that examined the findings of other research studies on how fruits and veggies can reduce the risk factors for heart disease and they asked me to share it with you. Here are some of the interesting findings:

• Tomatoes are the most popular source of lycopene in the US, accounting for 85 percent of the lycopene consumed.
• Canned tomatoes might have positive impacts for blood-pressure. Researchers found that in a six-week study, participants with high blood pressure that consumed two servings of canned tomato products daily saw a big decline in their blood pressure.
• Studies suggest that the nutrients found in tomatoes might just have a big impact on blood pressure.

It’s pretty safe to say that if you are concerned about your heart’s health, and most people are, then eating tomatoes sure sounds like a good job.

Heart health is important to me. With two young children, I want to be there for all of their life milestones, and so does my husband. This is a near and dear subject for me.

Also, whenever I think about heart health, I think of my grandfather who underwent open heart surgery. I was 12 or so and it was right before Halloween. I can still remember hearing his options for a replacement valve, and know the one he chose: the pig valve. And I still have, right here in my bedroom, a stethoscope that one of the doctors gave me. That Halloween, I trick or treated dressed as a doctor — a last minute decision. These memories and images – the hospital, the smell, the time of year – stay with you. I don’t want my kids to have memories like that.

Now, let me tell you about these eggs. The eggs are nestled in a quick homemade tomato sauce, and baked until just set. The yolk is supposed to remain runny, so that when you go to take forkfuls you spill the yolk over everything.  It’s divine. These Two Cheese Baked Eggs in Tomatoes for Two makes a fabulous breakfast to share (or breakfast for one, if you are starved.

Two Cheese Baked Eggs in Tomatoes for Two
serves 2
adapted heavily from Everyday Food

1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (I used Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-ounce oven-proof bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and basil and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 5-7 minutes, until thickened (there will still be juice from the tomatoes, but it will be about half of what you started with). Stir in the parmesan after 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, just before removing from the stove.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture. Pour the remainder into the prepared bowl. Break the eggs and add to the bowl as well, careful not to break the yolks. Spoon the reserved tomatoes over the eggs and then sprinkle with the provolone.

Bake the eggs and tomatoes for 15-17 minutes, until the egg whites are set, but the yolks remain runny.

Disclosure: Hunt’s/Conagra compensated me for my time writing this post. That didn’t impact the opinions shared here.

When I order a breakfast sandwich, I want it to be messy. Back when I worked for a big publisher, the chef who did breakfast in the office cafeteria would always crack the egg yolk with the side of his spatula when cooking my ham, egg and cheese. It drove me bonkers. I like the yolk runny so that it bursts into your mouth, perhaps leaving a little drip on your chin (pass the napkin, please!). Finally, I just asked one day if there was a reason he did that — was it a safety issue? Nope, just that most people don’t like their yolks dripping out of the sandwich.

I do.

So after that, I learned to remind him never to break my yolk. About 50 percent of the time he’d remember when he started cooking seconds later. Eh, 50 percent is better than nothing.

As I was making this sandwich this morning, I couldn’t help but think how it was a little messy. The threat of errant water from the egg … the runny yolk. Yep. Messy. And I like it that way.

Ham, Cheddar and Poached Egg Pita
serves 1

1 pita bread
1 slice cooked ham (such as from a spiral ham)
1 oz slice sharp cheddar
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350.

Place one pita bread on a baking sheet (a square of foil below helps contain mess). Layer the ham and the cheddar on top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan of water to boiling. Reduce to a simmer and remove from the burner for a minute. Crack the egg into a small bowl, careful not to break the yolk. Once the water stops having big bubbles, slip the egg into the pot. Return to the burner and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the white is firm and the yolk remains runny.

Remove the pita from the oven and top with a (well drained) egg.

Serve. To eat, fold the pita in half and enjoy.

When I went on vacation with my friend’s family as a teen, I was nervous. I wanted to be the model guest. So, I was well-behaved and had good manners, but I still felt nervous — especially when it came to ordering food. Maybe it was silly to be so concerned about, but I worried about it.

When it came to breakfast at a nice restaurant one morning, I deferred to my friend’s mom for advice on what to order. She recommended a Swiss and Asparagus Omelet — and a love affair was born.

Honestly, I only ordered the omelet because she suggested it. I liked asparagus — but not enough for that item to jump out at me. Thank goodness I listened. That was the point where asparagus suddenly got elevated in my mind. It wasn’t just another vegetable — it was an amazing one.

This version of the omelet is a little lighter than the original, made with just one egg and one slice of Swiss, but still just as delicious.

Did you ever travel with your friends’ families as a teen? What did you get nervous about?

Swiss and Roasted Asparagus Omelet
serves 1

1 large egg
1 tbsp milk
salt and pepper
1 slice Swiss cheese (about 1 ounce)
5 spears roasted asparagus

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and a little salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a small nonstick skillet over heat set to a hair below medium. Spray with cooking oil. Pour in the eggs and let cook, without disturbing, until set.

Once set, lay the Swiss cheese slice across the center of the omelet. Top with the asparagus spears, and fold the sides up to envelop them. Cook until the cheese is melted — another minute or so, and then remove to a plate.

Serve immediately.

I love this salad. I love this salad. I love this salad.

Should I say it one more time? I think so.

I love this salad.

All in all, this can be made in about 20 minutes (as long as you get the egg and the asparagus going at the same time), perfect for lunch if you are near a kitchen. Or you can make it ahead and assemble just before eating. Either way, it’s delish and can be eaten warm or cold.

But what about the flavor? The fresh asparagus, roasted until ever so slightly sweet and tender, is fantastic with the creamy egg and salty feta. And the drizzle of Caesar makes the whole thing magical. You could double the dressing if you really want to, but I prefer to keep the dressing light.

So, where do you start? Make the egg.

Roasted Asparagus Salad
serves 4

1 lb asparagus, ends snapped off
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 hard boiled eggs (see above), chopped
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp Caesar dressing, divided

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the asparagus for 12-15 minutes until tips start to brown. Remove from oven

Arrange half of the asparagus on a plate. Top with half of the chopped egg and 1 tbsp of feta. Drizzle with Caesar dressing. Repeat on a second plate with remaining ingredients.

Serve immediately.

Last night, after a rushed day, my husband and I did something together that doesn’t happen enough these days: we power-cleaned the house. In short order, my office was transformed from neglected storage space to usable thinking space. By the time we were done, the bathrooms were sparkling and the living room picked up. It was a great feeling to wake up to such a tidy house today.

And having a tidy house? Well, that makes me spontaneous. Seriously. I was driving to the store today when I had an inkling that today might be a good day to invite someone over for lunch. I did – or tried to – but it didn’t work out. The quiche, on the other hand, was fantastic. The kids just ate it up.

I started with two big shallots. After chopping then into rings, I sauteed them in some olive oil, swishing them around with my favorite wooden spatula until they were all soft and caramelized. It’s important to smash them a bit while they are cooking so that they break up a little. The caramelizing brought out their wonderful subtle sweetness.

When it came time to make the quiche, I layered the shallots with some crumbled Danish blue cheese. Danish blue cheese is creamy and blends well. Some blue cheeses, like Maytag blue, have a major bite, but Danish is a little more subtle. Although it’s sharp, it mellows a lot when melted into the egg mixture. The result is this amazing flavor combination that is sweet, salty, savory and super … all at once.

After it baked up, the kids and I dug in and devoured it. Mmm, and was it ever good. This would make a perfect lunch with a nice green salad (we skipped that today) and some toasty bread. And best of all? It’s ridiculously easy to make. Totally perfect for an impromptu lunch date.

Blue Cheese and Caramelized Shallot Quiche
serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
2 large shallots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
5 large eggs
1 cup nonfat milk
dash salt and pepper
1 frozen deep dish pie shell (I like the Oronoque brand)
1 cup crumbed Danish blue cheese (roughly 4 oz)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sprinkly lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together the egg, milk and a little salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Place the frozen pie shell on a baking sheet (this will make it easier to transfer the quiche between oven and counter). Spread the shallots in the bottom of the shell, followed by the blue cheese. Pour the egg mixture in last.

Cook the quiche in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

If Will had his way, we’d eat Blueberry and White Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes every single morning. Actually, scratch the ‘we’ – he’d eat the whole batch himself every day.

Not that I can blame him … they are delish.

But could we really eat pancakes daily? My schedule and waistline say no way, so I try to mix it up with easier options (yogurt, fruit and toast, scrambled eggs) and some alternative more-involved dishes (French toast, waffles, homemade muffins).

This quesadilla is heartier than your standard quesadilla and crammed with flavor. Yes, it’s more-involved, but it’s also a big family favorite. Serve it up plain or with a dollop of salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

What’s your family’s favorite breakfast?

Bacon and Bell Pepper Breakfast Quesadilla
serves 4

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced green pepper (dice it small)
2 eggs, beaten with a dash of milk and a sprinkle of salt and pepper
butter
4 tortillas
2 strips bacon, cooked and drained on paper towels
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook until softened. Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble, tossing together with the peppers. Remove from heat.

Working quickly, heat a large skillet over just-under medium heat. Butter one side of each of the tortillas. Flip over and divide the egg mixture evenly among the four tortillas (spread it onto half of the unbuttered side — I do this directly in the pan). Sprinkle 1/2 slice of crumbled bacon onto each tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup of cheddar.

Fold the empty half of the tortilla over and cook until browned on both sides, flipping ones.

Cut into wedges and serve.