Baked Avocado Heaven

For a while now, I have been noticing an abundant amount of recipes for eggs baked in avocado. I don't know if it's a fad or what, but I can't seem to escape it. The photos have been pretty intriguing and some have definitely caught my eye; so, I figured whomever discovered this was undeniably up to something good. I'm always searching for something new to add to my recipe collection, so I decided to give this a try. I love avocados and I love eggs, so I figured the two paired together would be an automatic home run. 

I can literally eat an egg any which way you can think to prepare it, whether it be poached, hard boiled, deviled, fried or scrambled, eggs are definitely in my top 5 favorite foods. Avocados are a close runner up as well. When you think of avocados, I'm sure the automatic recipe that pops into your head is some kind of guacamole. Am I right? Don't get me wrong, I love a good guacamole. The creaminess from the avocado paired with the heat from a diced jalapeno, finished with a tangy bite from freshly squeezed lime...so easy and so delicious. This time around though, I wanted to try something different. Now, I have tried eggs with avocado before: in an avocado, egg and cheese sandwich and as the substitute for mayonnaise in a creamy egg salad. Both were absolutely delicious, so I couldn't wait to try this one. 

I got the general idea of how to prepare this recipe just from glimpsing at a few photos on Pinterest, but I decided to create my own rendition. I wanted to add a little heat and a gooey bite of sharp cheese in my version, so I threw a few things together and ended up with a literal masterpiece.

 That first bite was out of this world. I don't mean to sound cliche or anything, but I am so serious. I couldn't believe I had never tried it before. The combination of the baked egg, runny yolk and velvety avocado was a smash it, definitely a recipe I will be making again and again. 

So, here it is, my simple rendition of an avocado baked egg.

Be careful though, what you are about to see may cause stomach rumbling and excessive drooling=)

Avocado Baked Egg:

1 ripe Hass Avocado, pit removed

2 tsp fresh lime juice

2 medium organic eggs

Pinch of salt, plus more to taste

4 tbsp shredded monterey jack or jalapeno cheddar cheese

Dash of cayenne, plus more to taste 

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper, plus more to taste

Sriracha (optional)

Preheat your oven to 450 F.

Split the avocado in half, using a knife. 

Remove the pit and discard. Squeeze 1 tsp of fresh lime juice onto each avocado half, to prevent browning. This also gives the avocado a nice bright flavor. Place both halves on a sheet of tinfoil and place on a cookie sheet. Crack 2 eggs, one into each avocado half. If the centers look too small to hold the eggs, scoop out a bit more to avoid any overflow. Sprinkle a pinch of salt onto each half and top with 2 tbsp of the shredded monterey jack cheese (or jalapeno cheddar). 

Sprinkle both with a dash of cayenne and finish with a few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper. 

Place the cookie sheet in the center rack and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and slightly golden. Remove the avocado halves and sprinkle a dash of salt onto each.

 Let sit for 2 minutes, top with sriracha and devour.

Serves: 1-2.

Yum. Yum. Yum. Is your mouth watering yet?