put an egg on it (in 25 ways). homemade adundance.

Eggs are magical to me. These little golden chicken embryos are incredibly versatile, healthful, and completely delicious. And like I've said before, very plentiful for me. Currently there are 10 dozen in the house, and probably a few more being produced as we speak. I've really opened up my mind and belly to all things eggs, and have enjoyed incorporating them into my daily diet. 

As with many inventions, creation comes from necessity, and when you have eggs piling up and you really don't want to eat anymore hard-boiled eggs for goodness sake, new eggy recipes form and flourish. We all know how important eggs are for creating structure in our baked goods, and that we always need one or two on hand for spontaneous morning pancakes, but there are so many egg-licious ways to incorporate these protein-packed pockets of goodness into many of your ordinary recipes.


Our gluttony of eggs has also reintroduced me to recipes I thought I'd never be posting on a blog five years ago. Egg salad--what?? Aioli, aka basically fancy mayo? Deviled eggs--so 90s right? I've had egg salad with homemade aioli twice in the last week. And its good. When they're homemade with the freshest eggs and ingredients, it really changes the whole experience. And now I'm converted. 

So here are some (definitely not all!) things you can conjure up with a few extra eggs. Even if you don't have 10 dozens eggs staring at you in the morning, these recipes are delicious and may persuade you to grab another dozen to have around. And all of this from the humble egg!

This post is chock full of links to recipes, techniques, and variations to try. Please check them out!

Here is a quick haiku by Robert Heemstra to get us in the mood:

fried eggs and French fries

a winning combination

just give it a try

With that, lets eat:


1. Egg salad: chopped onion, garlic aioli, Dijon mustard, capers, chopped celery, and hard-boiled eggs mashed together for a quick hearty picnic treat.

2. Hard-boiled eggs: Cover eggs with an inch cool water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. Place in ice bath and refrigerate. 

3. Soft-boiled eggs: same as hard-boiled, but after coming to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1.5-2 minutes. 

4. Deviled eggs: Try out some of these variations, or stick with the good old classic paprika-topped version of these retro appetizers.

5. Put an egg on it: Fry up an egg however you like it and slide it on:

• Savory oatmeal: Don't be so skeptical, this satisfying breakfast has fueled me happily for years. Try these variations or simply mix in some miso paste and nutritional yeast to cooked oatmeal. 
• Quinoa or any other cooked grain. Make your meal heartier with an egg on rice, quinoa, barley, or any other cooked grain. 
• Pizza: instead of meat toppings, throw and egg on your next pizza
• Burgers: Throw it on your burgers while you're out there grilling summer flavors. 
• Pasta: Carbonara gets its creamy richness from eggs. Or again, throw a nice crispy fried egg on a simple pasta dish.  
• Sandwiches: Try on a grilled cheese or a more dressed up sandwich. Make a breakfast sandwich with egg, mustard, and cheese on an english muffin.

6. Noodles with hard-boiled egg: Use soba or cellophane noodles for an asian-inspired quick dinner or lunch, with eggs on it!

7. Egg fried rice: Stir fry some cooked rice, eggs, and whatever veggie you have on hand for yummy and filling fried rice.

8. Popovers: Puffy egg bread is so easy and comforting!

9. Egg Strata: A sweet or savory hearty breakfast of bread chunks baked with eggs, often-times cheese, and other goodies. 

10. Eggs for breakfast! We all know and probably love a good fried egg to start our day off right. Mix it up with these variations:

• omelets: Watch Jacques Pepin show you how to make a simple, tender french omelet. 
• scrambles: Quick and easy and versatile, the scramble is great for a lazy morning. Try out these tips for making fluffier, better scrambles. 
• fried eggs: over easy, sunny side up, over medium, over hard, all versions are tasty and easy.
• poached: Sounds fancy, but poached eggs are not too difficult to master and a nice variation. 
• eggs benedict: Use those poached eggs for an epic breakfast to impress with eggs benedict or florentine. 
• huevos rancheros: Get spicy for breakfast with this mexican-styled egg on tortillas
• egg on toast: My favorite breakfast go-to. As simple as a fried egg on fresh buttered toast, or topped with avocado, sprouts, cheese, salsa, etc, I never get tired of a good egg on toast. 
• egg in toast: Similar to egg on toast, but this egg-in-the-hole is nestled in the toast--completely different experience. 

11. Frittata: Great for any meal, and versatile for any season, just whisk up some eggs and bake with herbs, veggies, or meat. Try this lovely spring version now! 

12. Quiche: A bit fancier than a frittata, quiche is a great make-ahead meal that is elegant and filling. Cooking light has a nice variety of healthy versions of quiche.  

13. Pickled eggs: Sounds crazy, but actually a really nice alternative to plain-old hard-boiled egg. Great sliced on a sandwich or salad, and can be made into fun deviled eggs. Or dress it up as a pickled egg salad crostini with serrano ham from Bon Appetit. 

14. Aioli: Similar to mayo, homemade garlic aioli is out of this world better and healthier than plain store-bought mayonaise. They actually shouldn't even be in the same category. And it takes minutes to make (plus is super magical to watch eggs and oil transform to mayo). Great for sandwich spread or egg salad!

15. Souffle: For that fancy dinner or just to try it out, souffles are versatile, sweet or savory, and really showcase the structural magic of eggs as they puff into a golden butter cloud. If you've never made one before, set a day soon to try it out. It's really not as hard as it seems. 

16. Shakshuka: Shakshuka is a simple, spiced, and saucy dish made by simmering eggs in a seasoned tomato sauce, traditionally eaten for breakfast in Israel. Great as a centerpiece for a vegetarian lunch or dinner as well. 

17. Baked eggs: Similar to shakshuka, these Spanish-style baked eggs are cooked in a spiced tomato sauce, but cooked in the oven. Great for a savory breakfast or served with crusty bread for a light lunch or dinner. 

18. Creamy salad dressing: Similar to making aioli, eggs can thicken up salad dressing to make creamy sauces for salads. Make homemade caesar salad dressing or creamy mustard vinaigrette for a spring greens salad. 

19. Egg in soup: Sounds a bit odd, right? But multiple cultures have found delicious ways to thicken and enhance soups with eggs. Try asian egg drop soup, lemony Greek avgolemono soup, or Italian stracciatella with spinach. 

20. French toast: Indulgent, yes. Delicious, yes as well. French toast is toast battered and pan fried and usually topped with syrup and sweet accoutrements. And you can dress this dish up in so many ways, from adding berries and whipped cream to maple cinnamon to savory versions. 

21. Custard: One of my fav desserts, custard uses up a good amount of eggs. Try my mason maple custards or pumpkin custard for a light, yet creamy treat. 

22. German pancake: My family always made these mega, eggy baked pancakes for a special brunch occasion. German pancakes are simple egg batter that you bake in the oven and then fill with fresh fruit or sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

23. Pancakes, waffles: Try sourdough cornmeal pancakes, or whole wheat pancakes that use beaten egg whites to make light, fluffy whole grain cakes. Same with the textured cousin of pancakes, add egg whites to waffle recipes to get delicious crunch on the outside.  

24. Angel food cake: Got egg whites? Make this classic version of light angel food cake and top with berries and homemade whipped cream, or try a more devlish version with chocolate and coffee. 

25. Gelato: Gelato differs from ice cream in that it is cooked like a custard with egg yolks and then frozen. It has fewer air pockets than ice cream and it is served at a warmer temperature, which allows for more flavor and creaminess in each bite. Gelato is more often made with whole ingredients like nuts and strawberries. Try classic pistachio gelato or get a bit crazy with olive oil gelato or rosemary goat milk gelato. 

25. Baked goods of all kinds: Get baking! Baked goods use a few eggs here and there, so why not whip up some freshly baked treats?  Find your favorite recipes of these goodies:

• muffins 
• cakes
• pastries
• breads
• bread pudding

Whew! Well, did you use up those eggs? I hope so, and I wish you good egg eating any time of the day. Sweet or salty, fried or baked, hidden in pancakes or shining so golden on top of olive bread, eggs are there for you in so many ways. I hope these ideas will help you expand upon your egg adventures and take advantage of the magic of eggs. Happy cooking!