Chorizo - egg bake

I was feeling like we had gotten into a bit of a brunch rut - lots of waffles, eggs and toasts, some oatmeal recipes, pancakes, and other recipes that are in our rotation. So maybe there was variety in our brunch rotation but nothing new! And I was ready to try a new brunch recipe. Our CSA routinely offers chorizo which is a fresh sausage typically with Mexican spices added into it and can be a bit spicy. We've never gotten the chorizo before so I found a recipe to try with it and thus begins our chorizo bake adventure! Patrick was a little skeptical at first because the last time he had chorizo it was too spicy and he didn't like the dish.

This turned out really well! The chorizo from our CSA was on the mild side and the flavor profile of the dish was quite tasty. It does take a bit of time to prep but the potatoes can be boiled ahead. We actually had a smoothie while the potatoes boiled, went for a 3 mile walk while they cooled, and then made the chorizo bake when we got back from the walk. We had never baked eggs so that was fun to try as well.

Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes
Serves 8 [we halved and had leftovers for breakfast the next day]
Ingredients
2 lbs medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 1/2 lbs fresh chorizo, casings removed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
Toast and hot sauce, for serving - we also served with an avocado

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 25 minutes; drain and let cool. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3/4-inch pieces. Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the chorizo, break it into chunks with a wooden spoon and cook over moderate heat, turning, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Scrape the chorizo mixture into a bowl and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chorizo mixture. Remove the skillet from the heat. Using a ladle, make 8 indentations in the potato-chorizo mixture about 1 inch apart; crack an egg into each one. Bake the skillet in the middle of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny. Serve at once with toast and hot sauce.

Happy 4th! If you're looking for a weekend brunch recipe then this would surely fit the bill.