Easy Baked Eggs Can Pass for Poached

Poached eggs are more popular than ever, showing up atop all sorts of dishes in all sorts of restaurants, from diners to fine dining. Social media is full of appealing shots in which a fork slips inside the egg, releasing a rivulet of warm, silky yolk. Too bad they're a pain to make, because there's nothing like a poached egg. Or is there? Behold, baked eggs to the rescue.

Poaching eggs – even just one– isn't easy for most of us, no matter how skilled we are with other types of egg cookery. The white can trail off into the simmering water, the yolk can break, and a waterlogged egg can turn a plate into a puddle.

In contrast, baked eggs are easy, especially when we need a batch of eggs that are ready to serve at the same time with uniform doneness. Depending on the cooking time, the yolks can be as runny or firm as you like, and the whites will always stay dry.

WATCH: Secrets To Poaching Eggs

Many baked egg recipes call for cracking each egg into its own small ramekin or custard cup, which means you can bake exactly the number you need. However, you can use a muffin tin in a pinch. Just make sure the muffin cups aren't too large and fill any unused cups with water so that the pan won't warp. No matter the vessel, butter or grease it well for easy release.