Recipe - Easy Eggs Benedict

Now that the deep, dark days of winter are fully upon us, it's a good time to tackle those tasks we tend to put off, like organizing and revamping our food storage.  Lack of desire to face the cold winds of January spurs my creativity for making meals out of things I have on hand without a trip to the store, including close-dated pantry and freezer staples.  Since my major cooking appliances currently are a hot plate and toaster, it seemed like a perfect time to whip up an old favorite I had all the ingredients for, Eggs Benedict.  I meant to make this for the fam over the holidays at some point because it's my parents' favorite, but since I never got around to it and my weekly deadline was looming, I made some today at lunchtime so I could take photos.  So if you are reading this, Mom and Dad, please forgive me for eating without you, and I'll make it up to you one day just like with that unfortunate Orange Roll misunderstanding a few weeks back! It's better not to explain.

Since the hardest part of this classic egg dish is the Hollandaise sauce, I use a packet mix which saves lots of time and comes pretty darn close to tasting like homemade.  This post also gives me a chance to spotlight one of my favorite kitchen items, my beloved Egg Poacher, which makes for a consistently successful outcome.  I have tried poaching eggs the old fashioned way many times, but never really got the hang of it.  I love using this pan, and if you don't have one and like to make poached eggs, I highly recommend the investment.  Here's mine.

This little fellow has been used for years, and is none the worse for wear.  I can make five poached eggs at a time, pulling them off at the desired level of doneness for each person, so everyone is happy.  You just spray the cups with cooking spray and fill the bottom of the pan half full with water, and a few minutes later, perfect poached eggs emerge.  Some of my Relief Society sisters and I made Eggs Benedict for the entire RS for our early morning visiting teaching conference a few years back, using just this pan and keeping them warm while making more.  Making enough for the fam is a snap after that!  See my easy instructions below the grocery listings, and remember, eggs aren't just for breakfast anymore. 

Easy Eggs Benedict

First, gather together the following ingredients: 
-Large eggs, two per person
-Ham slices (most any kind and any thickness you have--sliced from the deli or packaged from the lunch meat/cheese aisle).  
-A package of Hollandaise Sauce Mix - any brand
-Milk and Butter to make up the mix
-Lemon juice 

-English Muffins, one whole muffin per person
-Paprika if desired to sprinkle on top

Fry the ham slices until crispy.  Set aside.  Use as much as you need for as many servings as you want.  It can either be a thick slice for each person, or several layers of thin sliced.

Make up the Hollandaise Sauce by following directions on packet, which will consist of melting butter, stirring in the mix, adding milk, and cooking until thick and bubbly. 

Stir in lemon juice.  The package will say to add between 1 and 3 teaspoons.  I use 1.5 teaspoons.

Set the sauce aside, but keep warm (as well as the ham) while you make the eggs.  If you don't have a poaching pan, just poach eggs in the usual manner, which involves carefully sliding the eggs from a small bowl directly into simmering water.  Some people are really good at this--I am not.  The white always falls off and I never know when they're done.  If you have an egg poacher like mine, just fill the bottom half way with hot water and put in the cups. You don't need to use them all--just remove the cups you don't need). 

Spray the eggs cups with cooking spray.

Crack an egg into each one.

Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium high heat.  See my remodeling stuff in the background?  Not a pretty sight.  If you wonder why the sauce is not finished but the eggs are already cooking, it's because I actually made it while the eggs were cooking, not before like I told you to.  Do what I say, not what I do!

Once you can tell the water is simmering, set a timer for 3 or 4 minutes.  After that time you will want to start checking them.  Some people want the white cooked but the yolk very runny.  Some (like me) want the yolk to be set, but soft and a bit runny.  Some want it cooked almost as hard as a boiled egg (I don't recommend this, but I always have to make it this way for my dad).

As you can see, I broke one of my yolks when cracking the egg.  You can usually tell when they are ready by pressing gently on the top of one of the eggs. It should press in easily, but the white should look fully cooked.  The egg in the first photo below was cooked 4.5 minutes.  I think that was just right.  The egg in the second photo was cooked 5 minutes, which would be perfect for those who want it soft but not runny at all.  It's just a bit too done for my tastes, but still nice. The little handles on the cups make it so you can pull them off at different points to please the desires of your people.

Now, assemble your Eggs Benedict.  While the eggs were cooking, hopefully you had a chance to toast your English muffins.  Get them nice and crispy.  I don't butter the toast if I'm making it for the family because, well, we can do without the extra butter.  But if I'm making it for guests, I butter the muffins because they taste better that way.  Look at these lovely, crispy English Muffins!  I usually buy a cheaper brand than this, but they were on a buy one get one free deal.

Place a portion of the ham on each muffin.

Center the eggs carefully on top.

Put your Hollandaise back on the heat a moment if it's cooled off.  Salt and pepper the eggs lightly. Spoon sauce over the top, sprinkle with paprika and serve immediately. 

I like to serve this with hash browns and orange juice as well as fruit if I'm making a nice brunch for company, but it's a hearty meal by itself any time of the day.  The egg on this one looks perfectly cooked to me.  Enjoy!