Shelly's Recipe

SHEPARD EGGS WITH DIJON CREAM SAUCE

Category: Breakfast and Brunch

A standard muffin tin(s)
Large eggs (1 egg per muffin cup--according to the number of guests you are serving)
Croissants, bagels, or your other favorite bread
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tin(s) with non-stick cooking spray. Cut croissants (or other breads) lengthways, and press firmly into each muffin cup (number of cups depends entirely on how many guests you are serving). Overlap bread as necessary to create a firm, flat, circular cups that are molded against the shape of the muffin cups.

Crack one egg in the center of each bread-lined cup. Salt and pepper each egg to taste. Bake at for 16-21 minutes, depending on the accuracy of your oven and the preferred doneness of your egg (easy, medium, or hard).

When eggs are cooked to your liking (the jiggle test works well here---more jiggly for easy eggs, less jiggly for hard), remove muffin tin(s) from oven and carefully run a butter knife around the edges of each egg & bread nest in order to release the bread from muffin cup(s). Carefully lift and remove cooked nests from the cups using a knife, fork tines, or tongs if necessary. Serve upright with Dijon Cream Sauce.

Dijon Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 & 1/4 cup half & half
1 tbspchopped parsley
1 tbspDijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

While eggs are baking as directed above, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until well mixed. Whisk in half & half, watching carefully so as not to boil. Add remaining ingredients, whisking often. Sauce will slowly thicken.

Variation on the Sauce:
If desired, omit the Dijon and salt & pepper, adding 1-2 tsp of Cajun seasoning instead (great for those who like it spicy).