Baked Eggs

James loves potatoes. He loves ham. He loves béchamel sauce -- although I'm not sure he knows that.

We have a steady supply of eggs. I put all those things together in a French style egg gratin.

I sautéed some onions in butter and then laid them in the bottom of my baking dish. Next I took parboiled potatoes, sliced them and popped them in a pan with plenty of butter until they were cooked through and laid them on top of the onions -- dotting the pan with bits of prosciutto as I layered. The next level was thick slices of hard boiled eggs. I covered it all with a creamy white béchamel sauce (equal parts butter and flour, thinned with milk and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg). I guess I should call it Mornay sauce since I added in a good sized handful of grated Gruyère cheese but by any name it's a rich, creamy, delicious white sauce. I sprinkled the top with a bit more grated cheese and popped the casserole into a 400º oven until bubbling (about 10 minutes) then I switched to the broiler for about 5 minutes until the top was bubbly and browned.

Not exactly a lo-cal dinner, but hearty and warm and perfect for dipping with crisp toasts.