This week we attended the funeral of Cornelius’ 96 year old grandma who was known to everyone in the family as Grandma Bun. Named so because of the delicious buns she always made for every family gathering. She was a hard-working lady who spent a lot of time baking and cooking up a storm. She was an avid quilter and was quilting right up until her death. On our fridge we have a photo of her from about 10 years ago when she was 84 years of age digging up a ditch to help out her grandchildren landscape their yard. I loved her spunk and admired her pride and her ability to never throw in the shovel, so to speak.
After the funeral, everyone headed down to the church basement for “fasba”, a low German Mennonite term for coffee and sandwiches. This fasba meal included buns, deli meat, pickles and sweet danishes. Everyone sat down to fasba and reminisced about Grandma Bun, with people taking turns talking about their favorite memories. It was a lovely tribute to a wonderful woman. Afterwards, we helped tidy up which included taking home some buns and ham slices. So when it came to making breakfast this morning, I looked at those tired looking grocery-store bought buns and figured that maybe in my little way, I could pay tribute too.
Grandma Bun didn’t like fast foods and she probably wrinkled her nose at store-bought pies. She relished homemade meals and I think she probably was quite resourceful herself when it came to cooking. So when I looked at what I had in my fridge and came up with baking eggs inside of some buns, well, I’m sure she would approve of this humble dish. Delicious and savory and easy to put together, this meal makes a wonderful breakfast any time of day.
savory baked eggs in a basket
4 whole wheat buns
unsalted butter
4 large free run eggs
4 slices of deli ham, diced
2 green onions, diced
1/4 c smoked gouda, grated
1 t sweet paprika
salt & pepper1. Cut into the bottom of the buns, removing most of the insides…but keeping the outsides sturdy. You don’t want to remove all of the insides but it should still be able to hold an egg and other good things. Dispose of those innards you just removed (or better yet, save them for breadcrumbs). Butter the inside shell of the bun and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes or until butter melts and the bun is warmed through and just a bit toasted.
2. Place half of the ham and onions in the bottom of each bun, crack an egg into the hole and top with the remaining ham and onions. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika and salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove foil and place on upper oven rack and broil for a few minutes until cheese gets golden.
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What a wonderful tribute to Grandma Bun and a great segway to introduce a Grandma Bun inspired breakfast dish. I really like everything about this recipe. The ingredients go so well together (smoked cheese, egg and onion – my favourite breakfast ingredients) and of course the cute “bun-bowl” that holds the concoction together…so innovative and homey at the same time.
May Grandma Bun rest in peace and admire your resourcefulness from the other side.
My condolences. Adding Grandma Bun’s Buns to my list to try…looks very comforting…
Looks great! I just discovered your blog today and it’s wonderful; so easy to follow and great content. Thanks! Check out http://thepioneerwomancooks.com/
I think you might like it, it’s good too.
that´s a lovely tribute, I´m sure she´d love it. Cornelius is lucky to have had his grandmother around for so long, she sounds like she was a wonderful person.
Those are absolutely beautiful! I am so sorry for your loss. My husband’s grandmother passed away this weekend. She was 93 and still going strong. It is unbelievable the strength that some people have! What a wonderful tripute!
Very sorry for your loss. Grandma Bun sounds like a terrific lady and I’m sure she’d have loved your terrific looking eggy buns.
those buns look like a lovely tribute to a lady that lived a long and full life!
I was raised in PA Dutch country and I must say, if you don’t have a copy of “The Mennonite Community Cookbook” (you can get it on amazon or elsewhere), you are seriously missing out on some good eats. Really artery-clogging, down home stuff, but I find myself referring to it more and more in my daily cooking, and bringing out entries for stuff like “food for a barn raising” and “toast soup” and “scrapple” out at dinner parties to scare the natives. 🙂
Thanks Rachel!
Bijoux, it’s makes for a pretty great breakfast…everything in a little toasted bun!
Very comforting indeed, cooper! Thanks.
Indeed, Lobstersquad, she was a wonderful lady.
Sorry for you loss as well, Sarena.
Su-Lin, I think she would have loved these buns too.
Melissa, I don’t have that book, but I do have a few family Mennonite cookbooks that have been passed down to me. Many of the recipes are definitely loaded with fat and can be “very down home”.
that looks awesome, i want to make it right now! i’m sorry about grandma bun, but i’m so glad you have such great memories of her.
Sweet story and some good looking buns, too. Breakfast is my favorite meal so I will have to try these.
Sorry about your granny. She sounds wonderful. I love her nickname. And what a great way to remember her.
A friend (from Israel!) told me about your blog. It’s wonderful. I just did a sidebar review of it on my blog. It’ll be up for a few days…
I love simple to prepare food and I really think Baked eggs in a bun is a great recipe and its sort of like comfort food another aspect I like in food. Love your blog.
I’ve been fantasizing about baked eggs lately and I think I’m going to have to whip some up this weekend! You’ve made a fine tribute indeed to Grandma Bun!
Great creation. I’m sure she’d love it! Sorry for your loss.
tricia, they totally were awesome! thanks.
aimee, breakfast is mine too! enjoy 🙂
thanks sue, i’ll check out your blog too!
embellisher, this is comfort food through and through!
thanks mari 🙂
thank you, eatmedelicous.
That was such a wonderful post. I love the idea of having breakfast like this, I’m sure my kids would love it too! Thanks so much for the idea!
thanks lyb, i think this would be a very kid-friendly breakfast! enjoy.
Wow, I have never heard of this but I LOVE the idea of it. Here is to Grandma Bun!
thanks caroline. i’d never heard of baking eggs in a bun either, but it definitely works…and is definitely delicious.
Grandma Bun sounds like a wonderful lady! and you have given me just the recipe to use of the last of the leftover buns languishing in the freezer.
hippy, these work great for those languishing buns 🙂 enjoy!
This looks amazing. I am going to make it for breakfast tomorrow. Thanks for the idea.
I made them yesterday and they were great. i am going to tweak the recipe a bit next time because they turned out quite dry for me. I blogged about it here…
http://web.mac.com/mfizell/London_Calling/Blog/Entries/2008/3/16_Happy_St._Patrick’s_Day…Tomorrow!.html