Shirred Eggs

• The simplest baked egg dish around is sometimes known as shirred eggs or, if you're French, oeufs en cocotte. Shirred eggs are often baked in individual ramekins but can also be prepared casserole-style for serving to a large group. Prepare a bed of cooked vegetables for the eggs -- possibilities include roasted root vegetables, sauteed leafy greens, caramelized onions or sauteed bell pepper strips. You can also use fresh diced tomatoes. Crack a raw egg atop the vegetables. Drizzle a small amount of cream on top and sprinkle with grated cheese and/or freshly chopped herbs such as thyme or chives if you wish. Bake until just set and serve with toast cut into strips.

Quiche

• Quiche is essentially a savory custard tart. It comes to us via classic French cuisine and can be served warm or at room temperature, making it a good choice for an elegant make-ahead dish for lunch or brunch. Quiches can be filled with anything from asparagus, leeks and spinach to bacon, crab and cheese.
  You will want to pre-cook most vegetables, drain them of excess moisture and chop them into fine pieces before adding them to the custard mix. A few combinations to try include artichokes and tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms, asparagus and leeks or broccoli and bell peppers.

Frittata

• A frittata could be described as a crustless quiche, although its origin technically lies in Italy rather than France. Like quiches, they can be served warm or at room temperature for lunch or brunch and can also be successfully made ahead. Italian frittatas often incorporate leftover pasta -- and sometimes their accompanying sauce -- into their fillings, but you can also make a frittata sans noodles. Good vegetable-based frittata fillings include leeks, potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach or chard and pesto sauce. If you have any leftover cooked vegetables in your refrigerator, consider using them as a frittata filling, too.

Souffle

• Many people have encountered the souffle, if at all, only in its sweet dessert form. But savory souffles are a French tradition worth exploring. The dish has a reputation for being finicky, but all it takes is a little practice and a lot of patience to properly whip the egg whites into properly stiff peaks -- and also the patience not to open the oven door to check on your baking souffle. For the vegetable add-ins, you can use cooked, drained and chopped spinach, pureed pumpkin or other winter squash, baked pureed eggplant or steamed chopped green beans. Souffles are another great vehicle for absorbing vegetable leftovers as well.