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!
No Washing Up Ham, Egg & Cheese Bread Bowls
“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
- Omelette
- Frittata – the classic done right!
- Shakshouka – baked eggs made exotic
- Healthy Egg Muffins
- No Washing Up Ham Egg Cheese Pockets
- Bacon and Egg Muffins
- Copycat MACCERS Sausage and Egg McMuffin
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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!
Do you think a gluten-free hamburger bun could work? I need a gluten free option.
Gosh I don’t see why not! 🙂 N xx
CON: too many of these and there will be a lot more of me to love…these are addictive!
Ba ha ha! I hear you! 🙂 N xx
What kind of bread did you use or do you recommend?
I am definitely trying this! Thanks!
Hi! Any crusty bread roll!
I scramble my eggs with fresh salsa, cover the bottom with turkey and cheese and pour the scramble in, then top with more cheese. Once cooked, I pour on more fresh salsa and cheese. Yum!
OMG YUM x 1 million!!!
Can you make these with scrambled eggs? I don’t care for egg whites, but I love scrambled…
Definately! I whisk the egg then just pour it in!
Just a thought, since I haven’t actually made this yet, but I would consider adding some onions and peppers. Maybe pre-cook them first for a few minutes? They seem to work well in an omelette.
Ooh YES to that Greg!
The best way to use spinach in something like this is to use frozen spinach, thawed, drained and all the moisture squeezed out. To get all the moisture out I start by squeezing with my hand then put it on a couple of layers of paper towels. Flatten out the spinach and put a couple more layers of paper towels. Keep pressing, changing paper towels as needed.
I haven’t tried this yet but I can tell I’m going to love this recipe!
Thank you. I love spinach but my husband doesn’t this way we could both be happy.
Instead is using paper towels, try using cheesecloth to remove the excess liquid. Another veg that is great to use is asparagus ( best to steam cook first). Instead of just using ham, try turkey.
Thanks for the tip Nancy! 🙂
Be careful not to burn your mouth when eating..
Ah…yes! 🙂 N x
Hi there!
I rarely ever leave posts, for this recipe though, I had to! Nagi I’m so happy I stumbled upon your site! I made the ham-egg-cheese bread bowl and it was awesome!! Who doesn’t love food served in bread bowls??? I’ve often eaten chowder in a bread bowl; breakfast was just as good!
Thanks for sharing your creative ideas and recipes, keep them coming.
Sincerely,
Shawn
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed this Shawn, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Por que no traduce sus recetas al español? Soy de Chile, y se ven tan bonitas sus presentaciones…pero ¡no entiendo como hacerlas!
Feliz 2017 y ojalá algún día pueda hacer algo rico, de lo que Ud, muestra.
You mentioned this is a. Make ahead dish….can you give the directions for that? Thanks 🙂
Hi Nancy! I must be going mad, I can’t see where I wrote that. I typically serve it straight away, or at most leave in the fridge then rewarm 🙂 Can’t be frozen unfortunately!
I think what the person may be referring to is this. 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!
Thanks for reminding me Bobbie!! My brain is still in Christmas ham leftover mode 🙂 I wasn’t thinking about the round ham slices I usually use in this recipe! I added a make ahead note in the recipe. Thank you again! N xx
Number 5 under “PROS”. 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!
*Head smack!* Thanks Tamu, my head space is still Christmas leftover ham which is find of shaved so it doesn’t provide a tight seal in the bread bowls! Just updated the recipe with make ahead notes 🙂 N x
I love you and don’t even know you! Your sense of humor alone is enough to make me read your blog! I even try to imagine it in an Australian accent. 🙂 I’m not a fan of cooking, but you have gotten me excited about it! I can’t wait to try your recipes, but am wondering…Why aren’t you on any of the cable cooking channels??!!! They are crazy to not have hired you yet! (Yes, all my exclamation points are meant to be there…I can’t help but be excited about finding your blog! oops, there I go again…)
Colorado Kerry
Don’t imagine my Aussie accent!!! The Aussie accent is really crass, I really prefer the American accent (shhhh, very disloyal of me to say that!!) Love the excessive use of !, I actually had someone write in once to say that they found my excessive use of exclamation marks DISTRACTING, ba ha ha!!!!! N xx
do you think sauteed spinach could be substituted for the ham to add in some green veggies? then top with the eggs, so it is kind of like a modified eggs florentine
Oooh YES to that!
I would think the spinach would put out too much water and make the bread soggy. But adding spinach between the ham and egg should work.
Great receipies.want more
i have never wanted a cook book so much, every thing seems so easy , like you dont want to wash dishes, i will introduce these recipe to my children and friends, thank you
Thanks Cath!!
Is it possible at any stage of the recipe to freeze it (either cooked or not) as I like to prepare my meals in advance. Really looking forward to serving this one. Thanks
Lesley, Queensland, Australia
Hi Lesley, sorry to say it’s not 🙁 Egg is not appropriate to freeze raw or cooked, however, you could whisk, cook then freeze it 🙂
I made this recipe this morning, and when it finally cooked it was delicious! My oven always takes longer than recipes say to cook something all the way through. What i wound up doing after the sandwich was in at 350 for 20 minutes (still raw ish) I opened the packet and took the top off. I left it for another 8 minutes, came back, put some cheese on it and sealed it, and let it sit in my oven to continue to warm and melt and bake a bit (oven was off but obviously still hot.) This worked wonderfully, although the bread stuck to the foil. Next time I will spray the foil, but it might just be because it was in there for so long.
Hopefully that helps others with oven problems! Thanks for the great idea.
I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed this Kelsey! Thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Ms Nagi, I’ve used some of your recipes and they are GOOD. Like most recipes, and particularly on a website like this I know you have to be in the middle of the road with spices, etc as a lot of people cannot handle them but when you say” not enough greens” surely your followers have enough adventure in them to experiment by putting in cooked spring onion – green capsicum- spinach -kale etc.. Not only this the heading does say HAM , EGG and CHEESE BREAD ROLL, no mention of greenery. So the parsley was an added extra and to some they can be thankful that you put it in
Fabulous! I love your site. These will be brunch tomorrow. Hi from London.
Hi from Sydney! 🙂 Hope you enjoy these Kurt! N x
Beyond the amazing pro of no clean up (thank you!!), my boyfriend goes nuts over combinations like this. Tried this recipe today and it was so easy and delicious. My previous breakfast sandwiches (you know, the timeless English muffin, fried egg, cheese, ham/bacon/sausage, with so many dishes… oh so many) are now on the back burner.
I did add in some breakfast sausage since I love the combination and it came out great.
(I love your site! I just found it today and am so in love.)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Meri, thanks for letting me know!!
This is my first on-line comment. AWESOME! I am a 3 yr. retired Alaskan firefighter (40 yr career) and a budding chef (so I say, LOL!) As a firefighter, I’ve made thousands of dishes for the firehouse, most very good, some great, others – meh. This recipe would have fit into the busy firehouse life with no problem. Wish I’d found it sooner. Slight changes on mine, used large sourdough bread roll (about the size of a large hamburger bun). Made as you instructed, except I added a touch of garlic butter around the top of the cut of the bowl and the inside of the top. The bowl wall I had cut to less than 1/2 in. thickness, but because it was sourdough, I extended cooking time to 35 minutes. Second time we reduced it to 30-32 minutes. Also, on the second time, my sons got the idea to add a little bit of white sausage gravy just before serving. It softened the crust a little and the taste, AWESOME! Thank you!
I bet the firehouse is MISSING YOU!!! So onto your next career – as a chef! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I love the addition of garlic butter, YUM!! And gravy?? DOUBLE yum!