Baked Eggs Napoleon (Print View)

Crisp puff pastry layers with spinach, ham, baked eggs and hollandaise

# What You'll Need:

→ Puff Pastry Layers

01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (approximately 9 ounces), thawed

→ Spinach Filling

02 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
03 - 7 ounces 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 Components

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 ounces unsalted butter, melted
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
14 - Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - Cut the puff pastry sheet into 8 squares (approximately 3x3 inches each). Arrange squares on the prepared baking sheet. Prick each square several times with a fork to prevent excessive puffing. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
03 - While pastry bakes, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced shallot and minced garlic, sautéing for approximately 2 minutes until fragrant. Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
05 - Place 4 baked pastry squares in a baking dish or on the prepared baking sheet. Top each square with one slice of smoked ham, followed by a generous spoonful of the prepared spinach mixture. Sprinkle Gruyère or Swiss cheese evenly over the spinach.
06 - Place the remaining 4 pastry squares on top to create sandwich stacks. Using the back of a spoon, press down firmly in the center of each top pastry square to create a well or indentation.
07 - Carefully crack one egg into each indentation. Bake for 10-12 minutes until egg whites are set but yolks remain slightly runny, or adjust cooking time to achieve desired doneness.
08 - While the Napoleons bake, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method). Slowly drizzle in melted butter while whisking continuously until the sauce thickens and emulsifies. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm.
09 - Remove baked Napoleons from oven. Generously drizzle each portion with warm hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately while eggs are warm and pastry remains crisp.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The textures alone make it unforgettable—crisp, creamy, silky, and all in one bite
  • It looks like you spent all morning cooking but secretly comes together in under an hour
  • The runny yolk mixing with hollandaise is the kind of decadence that makes weekends feel special
02 -
  • Work quickly once you start making the hollandaise. If it sits too long, it will separate and there's no saving it.
  • The indentation for the eggs needs to be deep enough to hold them, but not so deep that you crack through to the filling below.
  • If your hollandaise looks curdled or grainy, whisk in a teaspoon of cold water to bring it back together.
03 -
  • If your pastry squares aren't perfectly even, trim them with a sharp knife after baking for a more elegant presentation
  • The eggs will continue cooking after you remove them from the oven, so pull them when they look slightly underdone
  • Leftover hollandaise is terrible—plan to use every drop or scale down the sauce recipe

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