Water Bath Egg Bites with Bacon and Hot Sauce
Silky, custardy egg bites made with eggs, blended cottage cheese, Gruyere, and crisp bacon, baked over a pan of steaming water.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon diced and cooked until crisp
- 8 large eggs
- 16 oz cottage cheese one tub, blended until smooth
- 2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese divided, 1 1/2 cups for the batter and the rest for topping
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp hot sauce plus more to taste, up to 3 tsp
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- nonstick spray for the muffin pan
Instructions
Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Boil water, set a casserole dish on the bottom rack, and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Close the oven right away to trap the steam.
- Cook the diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain it on paper towels and set it aside.
- Blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor for about 1 minute, until smooth with no curds.
- Add the eggs, 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere, the hot sauce, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Blend until smooth and fully combined.
- Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about three quarters full. Add a pinch of the remaining cheese to each cup, nudge some toward the center, and top with the bacon.
- Bake on the center rack, above the pan of water, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the eggs are set and no longer jiggly. The center should reach 160 degrees F.
- Rest the egg bites in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes, then loosen with a small spatula and lift them out.
Notes
Egg dishes are done at 160 degrees F. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and reheat until steaming hot at 165 degrees F. Nutrition is an estimate for 1 egg bite.