Eggs in a Hash Nest

There are some things that each of us just can't stand to eat. For one of us, its walnuts. For the other, its olives. Every year on Christmas morning we make cinnamon pull-aparts and an egg casserole. Our brother's one thing he can't stand to look at, smell or taste is eggs. Why we have never taken this into account for his sake is a mystery to us. So this year for xmas morning we thought we would be nice to our bro and make a dish that would please both the egg lovers and non egg lovers alike. We made a hash with veggies, ham and tomatoes. Half with eggs in a nest and half, egg free. That was the plan anyway. It was all good on Christmas eve when we prepped for the morning. We sauteed the onion with celery, zucchini and mushrooms, then we added shredded potatoes to the mix. Once the potatoes were cooked we added diced ham and tomatoes and then threw the whole thing in a casserole dish, covered it with foil and put it in the fridge for morning. Come the morning, we turned on the oven to 350F and popped the casserole in the oven. 15 minutes later we went to make the "nests" in one half of the dish. The trouble came when we realized, we hadn't bought more eggs. Crap. Well, the dish was great in concept and lucky for us, yummy to eat. Our brother loved it and requested it for the next year. :)

Eggs in a Hash Nest

1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
2 large celery stalks with leaves, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, shredded
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cups frozen shredded potatoes
dried parsley, summer savory and oregano, to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup diced ham

4-6 eggs

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

In a large, heavy, saute pan heat to medium heat, spray with cooking spray. Add the onions, celery, zucchini and mushrooms; sauté until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and sauté, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the dried herbs, salt, pepper and ham and continue cooking, stirring often, until heated through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Place in a casserole plate if making in advance or transfer the pan to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are soft and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and, using the back of a tablespoon, make 4-6 indentations or "nests" in the mixture. Break an egg into each nest. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake until the eggs are set, 6 to 8 minutes more.

Yields 10 servings

adapted from Williams Sonoma