Eggs in Purgatory

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Deep South Dish, it's my go-to Southern cooking resource. Mary always has the best recipes and these eggs, cooked up in a spicy creole tomato sauce and served over creamy, cheesy grits did not disappoint!

After being away for 2 weeks, I was excited to return to our normal at-home routine, which includes cooking meals in my kitchen and sitting around the dinner table with our little family. Then my husband needed to cover the second shift in his office this week, so I was setting a table for 3 when dinnertime rolled around. One of the best parts of our day is when we all sit down together around the table and talk and laugh as we fill our bellies. So, I shifted gears and began making brunch as our main meal of the day so that we could return to this tradition that had been put on hold during our travels. With the tomatoes that I had brought back from the farm and my craving for spicy food, this recipe was an easy choice for a mid-week meal.

I began by frying up some bacon. You only need 3 slices of bacon, but I fried a whole skillet so that my daughters could enjoy eggs and bacon while my husband and I dove into our Eggs in Purgatory.



I removed the bacon from the skillet and then sauteed some sweet onion and green pepper in the bacon fat until tender.



Next, I stirred in a few tablespoons of tomato paste and let that cook for about 3 minutes.



I removed the skin from 4 Roma tomatoes (drop in boiling water, then move to cold water and the skin will peel right off.) Then I chopped them up and....



Added them to the onion and pepper in the skillet with a can of Rotel Original and 3 slices of crumbled bacon.



I simmered the mixture for a 20-30 minutes while I went to work on my grits. Then I made 4 wells in the tomato mixture and cracked the eggs right into their little tomato sauce nests in the skillet.




I snagged one of my grandma's cast iron skillets while I was home, finally giving me a piece of cookware that can go from stovetop to oven. I baked this in a 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the eggs were set.



Then I sprinkled on some Colby Jack cheese and returned it to the oven for another minute or two until the cheese melted.



To serve, I put down a nice layer of those cheesy grits in a bowl, then spooned on the egg and lots of that chunky, spicy tomato sauce. Mary recommended serving this up with a thick slice of buttery toast. Good call! We were definitely fans of this recipe. You will want seconds! Mmmmm.




Eggs in Purgatory
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Garlic cheese grits
4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/4 cup of coarsely chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 can of chunky Rotel tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut up the bacon into a cast iron skillet and cook until just about crisp. Remove and set aside, reserving the bacon drippings. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped fresh tomato and the Rotel. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Make a batch of cheese grits while the tomatoes are simmering and hold them over low, stirring occasionally.

Using a spoon, make 4 wells in the sauce and crack one egg into each well and sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper. Using pot holders, carefully transfer the entire skillet into the preheated oven. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until yolk is set as desired. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, if desired, and return to the oven 30 seconds to 1 minute, or just until cheese is melted.

Serve over hot cheese grits and with thick crunchy, buttery toast.