Baked Eggs on Cheesy Caramelized Onions

Adapted from Rachel Ray, May 2010. The amount of onions seems like a ton, but they really cook down. Rachel used Swiss cheese in the original recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 3  large leeks, dark green stalks discarded, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick (about 2 pounds)
• 1 1⁄2 lbs onions, chopped
•  salt and pepper
• 4  slices  whole wheat bread, toasted and broken into pieces
• 6  ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8  eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 3-quart baking dish.
2. In a large, heavy pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and browned, about 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
3. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with the toast and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with the onion mixture.
4. Using the back of a spoon, make 8 deep wells in the onion mixture. Working 1 at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl and pour them into the wells.
5. Top with the remaining cheese; season with pepper.
6. Bake until the egg whites are set but still jiggly, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to the broiler and cook until the eggs are just set, 1 to 2 minutes.