Baked scrambled eggs for two, cooked in a small buttered dish at 350F and stirred twice so they come out in curds rather than as a flat omelet. Nothing to stand over and one dish to wash.
4largeeggsat room temperature, or add 2 minutes to the bake
1/4cupwhole milknot cream, which makes the curds heavy
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1/8teaspoonblack pepperfreshly ground
For the Dish and the Finish
1tablespoonunsalted butterfor greasing the dish thoroughly, base and sides
1/4cupsharp cheddargrated, optional, added in the last few minutes
2tablespoonschiveschopped, scattered over after cooking
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Instructions
Heat the Machine and Beat the Eggs
First, set the rack in the middle position and heat the toaster oven to 350F on the bake setting. Butter a small baking dish thoroughly, base and sides.
Next, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper with a fork until the color is completely even and no ribbons of white remain. Streaky beaten eggs bake into streaky curds.
Then pour the mixture into the dish, slide it in, and leave it alone for the first 10 minutes while the edges set.
Stir Twice and Pull Them Early
After that, take the dish out and drag the set edges into the liquid center with a spatula, then return it and repeat at the 15 minute mark.
Scatter the cheddar over at about 18 minutes if you are using it and give the dish 2 to 4 minutes more, until the eggs are set but still faintly glossy.
Finally, take them out while the surface still has a sheen on it, scatter the chives over, and let the dish finish them on the counter for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
Stir at 10 minutes and again at 15, dragging the set edges into the liquid middle. Skip it and the eggs bake into one flat omelet.Pull them out while the surface still looks glossy. A small hot dish carries them another two or three minutes on the counter, so eggs that look done in the machine are overdone on the plate.Dish shape: a deep narrow dish gives large soft curds in about 22 minutes, a wide shallow one gives smaller curds in about 16.Food safety: egg dishes are considered safe at 160F internal. Runny yolks in any form do not reach it, which matters most when cooking for someone pregnant, elderly or immune compromised.Storage: 3 to 4 days refrigerated, reheated at 300F for 5 to 6 minutes under foil. They freeze acceptably for 2 months in portions.Nutrition values are an estimate.