Baked Eggs Napoleon with Pastry (Printable)

Crisp pastry layers with spinach, ham, baked eggs, and hollandaise sauce for an elegant brunch.

# What you'll need:

→ Puff Pastry

01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 oz), thawed

→ Spinach Mixture

02 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
03 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed and chopped
04 - 1 small shallot, finely diced
05 - 1 garlic clove, minced
06 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
07 - Pinch of nutmeg

→ Assembly

08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 4 slices smoked ham or prosciutto
10 - 2 tablespoons grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese

→ Hollandaise Sauce

11 - 2 large egg yolks
12 - 3.5 oz unsalted butter, melted
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Cut the puff pastry into 8 squares (about 3x3 inches each). Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Prick each square with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Let cool slightly.
03 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
05 - Arrange 4 pastry squares on a baking dish. Top each with a slice of ham, a spoonful of spinach mixture, and a sprinkle of Gruyère. Top with the remaining pastry squares to create stacks.
06 - With the back of a spoon, make an indentation in the top of each stack. Carefully crack an egg into each indentation.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until eggs are just set but yolks are still runny (or to your desired doneness).
08 - While eggs bake, prepare hollandaise sauce: Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Slowly drizzle in melted butter, whisking constantly, until thickened. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
09 - Drizzle each Napoleon with hollandaise sauce before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The puff pastry creates those irresistible flaky layers that make every bite feel luxurious
  • You can assemble everything ahead and bake just before guests arrive
  • Runny yolks mixing into warm spinach and smoky ham creates the most incredible sauce
02 -
  • Cold puff pastry is your friend, if it starts getting soft and sticky, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes
  • The hollandaise sauce waits for no one, have everything else ready and warm before you start whisking
  • Make those indentations deeper than you think, the eggs will spread and you want them nestled in securely
03 -
  • If your pastry puffs unevenly, gently press down the taller areas before adding your toppings
  • Add a drop of water to your spinach if the pan looks dry, you want it wilted not fried
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional for hollandaise success, cold yolks and warm butter simply will not marry properly

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