Microwave Ham and Cheese Egg Bowl
A single-serve bowl of softly set eggs with ham and melted cheese, cooked entirely in the microwave. Rich, savory and ready in minutes.
- Total
- 11 min
- Prep 4 · Cook 5 · Rest 2
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Dicing
- Savory
- Quick
- Microwave
Instructions
-
Dice the 40 g ham into 1 cm pieces on the cutting board. Grate the 30 g cheese.
~3 min
Dicing Cut the ham into even 1 cm cubes so every piece heats through at the same rate; uneven pieces leave some cold or rubbery.
-
Crack the 2 eggs into the microwave-safe bowl and beat with the fork until the yolks and whites are fully combined. Whisk in the 30 ml milk, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.125 tsp black pepper.
~1 min
Beating the eggs fully combines yolk and white so the bowl sets into an even, uniform curd rather than streaks of cooked white.
Whisking Beat in a circular motion until no streaks of white or yolk remain; under-mixing leaves uneven curds, over-mixing just adds foam.
-
Stir the diced ham into the egg mixture. Cover the bowl with a paper towel and microwave on full power for 1 minute.
~1 min
Covering traps steam so the egg cooks gently and evenly, while the first minute sets the base before cheese is added.
-
Remove the bowl and stir the partly set egg from the edges toward the center with the fork. Scatter the grated cheese on top.
~1 min
Stirring the partly set edges into the center redistributes heat so the egg sets evenly instead of turning rubbery at the rim.
Stirring once halfway breaks up the egg curds so the bowl sets evenly instead of turning rubbery at the edges.
-
Microwave uncovered for 1 minute more, until the egg is just set and the cheese has melted. If any loose egg remains, microwave in 15 second bursts until set.
~1 min
Short bursts prevent overcooking, since egg proteins toughen and weep water once they are pushed past just-set.
Microwaves vary a lot: stop as soon as the center is barely set, because the egg keeps cooking in the hot bowl during the 2 minute stand.
-
Let the bowl stand for 2 minutes so the egg finishes setting and the cheese settles. Season with a little more black pepper if you like and eat straight from the bowl.
~2 min
The carryover heat in the hot bowl finishes setting the egg during standing, keeping it soft rather than overcooked.