The Chopped Canada Teen finale aired on Boxing Day in Canada with the winners of the previous four episodes competing for $20,000 (a little surprised that the finalists – winners from the previous four episodes – weren’t awarded anything.  Honestly, $1,000 to $2,500 towards their education would have been great!).  Mystery ingredients for the three rounds included kid-friendly foods like hard shell tacos, peanut butter and jam sandwiches as well as more sophisticated items like sea asparagus.

Heritage eggs often come in colours other than white or brown (like the one in the middle)

For my own imaginary creation, I have chosen items from the appetizer round, which were:  heritage chicken eggs, cajun seasoning, mache (lamb’s lettuce) and bacon grease to create…baked eggs.  Baked eggs is something I sometimes make if I don’t want anything too heavy and is not difficult to do.

First, eggs are scrambled along with a splash of milk, a bit of black pepper as well as dried herbs (I like basil and oregano) and some cajun seasoning. The mixture is then poured into individual ramekins greased with a bit of the bacon fat. Sliced tomatoes and mushrooms are added to the mixture and then topped with grated cheddar.  It is baked at a 350 oven until set (around 20-25 minutes).

A version of baked eggs made by the author last year

While the eggs are baking, a light salad, using the mache, along with some tomatoes and cucumbers is created with a simple dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  A bit of bread tossed in bacon grease is used as croutons for the salad.  The final dish is served on a rectangular plate with the ramekin of eggs on side and the salad on the other.

Note:  This dish (with or without the salad) is great for a brunch party!  You can even have a baked eggs bar – with different types of toppings (e.g. ketchup, mayo, salsa, etc…).

First photo: Erika J Mitchell /Shutterstock; Second is by author