Baked Basil Eggs with Cheesy Garlic Bread

When the days turn cold and snowy (or this winter- drizzly) here in Vermont, one of the best comfort foods around is baked eggs. Add some cheesy garlic bread into the mix and you have a meal. Or if you're my husband two slices of cheesy garlic bread and 2 baked eggs become a "slammin'" sandwich.

Baked Basil Eggs (recipe cost- 1.84 or .46/serving)
(serves 4)

2 TBS chopped fresh basil or 1 TBS dried basil (you could also use a pesto basil here as well)
6 TBS milk (for richer eggs use cream) ($3.34/gallon - 192 oz, .02/oz) .06 cents
1 oz parmesan cheese (3.99/8oz, .50/oz) .50
8 eggs (2.95/18 pk, .16 per egg) 1.28
salt & pepper to taste

Cheesy Garlic Bread (cost per recipe-  1.16 or .15/piece)
(makes 8 slices)

3/4 loaf of thick cut bread, 8 slices (I used a Rosemary Thyme homemade bread that costs me .53 cents a loaf to make) .39 cents
2 TBS butter (.75 per 8 TBS stick) .38
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 oz grated cheddar cheese (I buy a giant block for 8.49/48 oz - .17/oz) .39 cents

Total Cost for Meal is $3 even. We only eat four of the slices of garlic bread and I freeze the rest for a later meal.

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray. Chop basil. We belong to a CSA during the summer so I froze cubes of chopped basil in the freezer & then microwaved it for a minute with the milk so that I could mix it in. If you're using fresh or dried just stir it into the milk to mix.

My frozen basil cubes. I used 2 TBS chopped basil in each  with very little water.

2. Dose 1 1/2 TBS of basil milk into each ramekin. Sprinkle the shredded parmesan evenly between the 4 ramekins. Start toast going in toaster for garlic bread.

3. Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin. Sprinkle top with some salt & pepper. Put ramekins on cookie sheet & put into oven. You want to cook for 10 minutes if you like the yolks a little runny. I cook for 14 minutes to get the yolks harder since we feed them to our toddler and I'm pregnant.

4. In the microwave, soften the 2 TBS of butter. It will take about 45-60 seconds. Mix in the 1/2 tsp of garlic powder.

5. Spread each slice of toasted bread with a schmear of garlic butter. The amount you've made will cover all 8 slices with a generous dose. Split the 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar evenly over all of the slices, a couple TBS on each. This process will only take a few minutes. I then put 4 slices in a tinfoil lined pan and put them in the oven with the eggs since they also cook at 375. They'll need to cook for 7 minutes depending on how crisp you like them.

6. I freeze the last 4 slices of garlic bread. Just lay them flat in tupperware and gently place in the freezer. Since the butter is still gooey the cheese will stick to it and you can use them at a later meal. Frozen garlic bread can be baked directly out of the freezer in a 375 oven for roughly 10 minutes.

7. Enjoy! This meal is exceptionally filling and the price is right at $3 for the whole deal including frozen garlic bread for later!