Eggs & Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce (Sorta Shakshuka)

Sometimes I think I’d make a great personal assistant. Need dry cleaning picked up? Gotta stop by the Post Office? Groceries to get? I’m your girl! I LOVE running errands! I feel so productive and accomplished and love being out and about. I can lose a whole day just going from place to place, marking things off my list. In fact, there have been many days where I'm running around for 3 hours and get home only to realize that morning has already segued into the afternoon.

Every week, before I go grocery shopping, I try to make a plan and have my list all filled out and my route planned (because yes, I go to multiple stores to get everything I need, don’t judge). I take my cup of coffee and my reusable shopping bags and spend a few hours (yes, hours!), going everywhere and getting everything I need. It is truly one of the favorite parts of my week.

I started this tradition in college, getting up early every Saturday to start my day with a walk to the farmer’s market. Then, after a scone and a cup of coffee, I’d hop in the car and head out to what is easily the best grocery store on the face of this planet, Fresh Farms. I’d pile my cart high, wandering from aisle to aisle, taking my sweet time. Once I got home, having spent the better part of my day grocery shopping, I’d carry everything up four flights of stairs and be set for the rest of the week.

But sometimes I wasn’t. Sometimes I ate a lot more than I thought I would or wasn’t fully stocked. I’d get to the end of the week and be desperate for sustenance, rummaging around in cupboards and the fridge looking for something to eat. I couldn’t afford another trip to the store – both budgetary and time restraints made it impossible.

It was times like those that I wound up making this dish. Eggs cooked in tomato sauce and topped with goat cheese. I modeled it after the Middle Eastern dish shakshuka. It’s one of those great meals that can be made for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It can be spicy or mild or anywhere in between. It’s warm and comforting and filling, plus it doesn’t take much time, which is super helpful if you’ve got errands to run.

Eggs and Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce

½ red bell pepper, diced

¼ medium white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups good quality tomato sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

3 whole eggs

2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until warm. Once oil is warm, add pepper and onion, stirring to coat. Cook until soft and onions are beginning to turn translucent. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

While the veggies cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour tomato sauce into pan, stir in Italian seasoning and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Crack eggs and pour over tomato sauce. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pper and top with goat cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until eggs are cooked to medium, about 10 minutes (cook eggs longer if you prefer them firmer).

Serve immediately with toasted bread!