50 Egg Ideas

1. Eggs with Soldiers: Place 4 eggs in a saucepan of boiling water, then cook over low heat, 4 to 5 minutes; drain. Slice off the tops and season with salt and pepper. Serve with toast strips.

2. Medium-Boiled Eggs: Place 4 eggs in a saucepan of boiling water, then cook over low heat, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, peel and halve; top with herbed butter.

3. Breaded Eggs: Make Medium-Boiled Eggs (No. 2); peel, then roll in flour, dip in beaten eggs and roll in panko. Shallow-fry in vegetable oil, turning, until crisp.

4. Scotch Eggs: Make Medium-Boiled Eggs (No. 2); peel. Pat bulk sausage around each egg to encase it. Roll in flour, dip in beaten eggs, then roll in panko. Shallow-fry in vegetable oil, turning, until crisp.

5. Hard-Cooked Eggs: Place 4 to 6 eggs in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch and bring to a simmer. Cover, remove from the heat and set aside, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, then peel in a bowl of cold water.

6. Pickled Eggs: Make Hard-Cooked Eggs (No. 5); peel and place in a large jar, then fill the jar with pickled beet juice. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

7. Classic Deviled Eggs: Make Hard-Cooked Eggs (No. 5). Halve lengthwise and scoop out the yolks. Mash with 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon mustard, and a pinch each of cayenne, salt and pepper. Scoop into the whites.

8. Tarragon Egg Salad: Make Hard-Cooked Eggs (No. 5); chop. Mix with 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 chopped shallot, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon, and salt and pepper. Serve on pumpernickel bread with sliced cucumbers.

9. Tea Eggs: Make Hard-Cooked Eggs (No. 5); crack the shells but don't peel. Simmer in a saucepan with 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 cups water, 4 star anise pods, 3 black tea bags and a strip of orange peel, 1 hour. Drain and peel.

10. Egg-Mushroom Salad: Make Hard-Cooked Eggs (No. 5); chop. Fry 2 cups sliced mushrooms and 1 cup chopped onion in 1/3 cup olive oil. Mix with the eggs, 3 tablespoons sour cream, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Serve on rye toast.

11. Scalloped Eggs: Make Hard-Cooked Eggs (No. 5). Slice and layer in a buttered baking dish with 2 sliced boiled potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk 6 tablespoons each milk and sour cream with 1 tablespoon flour. Pour over the eggs, top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees F, 25 minutes.

12. Basic Scramble: Whisk 2 eggs with 1 to 2 teaspoons milk or heavy cream; season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add the eggs and stir until just set.

13. Pastrami Scramble: Make Basic Scramble (No. 12), adding 2 ounces sliced pastrami. Top with smoked gouda and scallions.

14. Biscuit Sandwich: Make Basic Scramble (No. 12), adding 1 tablespoon chopped chives. Split a biscuit and melt a slice of cheddar on the bottom; top with a cooked sausage patty and the eggs. Cover with the biscuit top.

15. Spicy Scramble: Make Basic Scramble (No. 12); add 1/3 cup shredded cheddar, and diced jalapeno to taste.

16. Creamy Scramble: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons cream cheese, 2 teaspoons chopped chives, and salt and pepper. Whisk until just set.

17. Smoked-Salmon Scramble: Make Creamy Scramble (No. 16); serve on toasted whole-grain bread with smoked salmon.

18. Quick Egg Muffin: Beat 1 egg and salt and pepper in a mug with a fork; microwave 45 seconds. Serve on an English muffin with melted cheddar.

19. Kimchi Eggs: Sauté 1/2 cup drained kimchi and 2 sliced scallions in a nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 beaten eggs and stir until just set.

20. Migas: Sauté 4 thinly sliced corn tortillas and 1/2 cup each sliced onion and roasted poblano peppers in a skillet with vegetable oil, 5 minutes. Add 5 beaten eggs and stir until just set. Top with grated cheddar, salsa and cilantro.

21. French Scramble: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Add 4 beaten eggs and stir until just set, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons crème fraîche.

22. Caviar Scramble: Make French Scramble (No. 21). Serve in clean eggshells; top with caviar.

23. Breakfast Burritos: Cook 1/2 cup diced chorizo, 1/2 diced onion and 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup cotija cheese; scramble. Divide among flour tortillas, top with salsa and roll up.

24. Matzo Brei: Cook 1 sliced onion in 6 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet. Crumble 2 matzos in a colander and rinse with water. Beat 4 eggs with the matzo, add to the skillet and scramble until set; season with salt and pepper.

25. Classic Omelet: Beat 2 eggs with salt and pepper. Place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1/2 tablespoon butter and swirl to melt. Add the eggs and stir briefly with a rubber spatula, then let the bottom set but not brown. Fold like a letter.

26. Spinach Omelet: Make Classic Omelet (No. 25); before folding, fill with 3 tablespoons chopped cooked spinach and 2 tablespoons goat cheese.

27. Asparagus Omelet: Make Classic Omelet (No. 25); before folding, fill with 3 tablespoons chopped cooked asparagus and 2 tablespoons shredded gouda.

28. Fruit Omelet: Make Classic Omelet (No. 25) without pepper; before folding, fill with sliced strawberries. Top with ricotta.

29. Healthy Omelet: Cook and crumble 1 slice turkey bacon. Toast 1/4 cup corn in the drippings; add 2 tablespoons salsa verde. Make Classic Omelet (No. 25) with 4 egg whites, and olive oil instead of butter. Fill with the bacon and corn before folding.

30. Family Omelet: Beat 8 eggs with 2 tablespoons milk, and salt and pepper. Cook in a large skillet as directed for Classic Omelet (No. 25); fill with 1/2 cup each diced ham, gruyère and sautéed peppers.

31. Sweet Omelet: Make Classic Omelet (No. 25) without pepper; fill with 1 tablespoon jam. Top with confectioners' sugar.

32. Poached Eggs: Bring a skillet of water with a splash of vinegar to a simmer. Crack eggs into individual cups, slip into the water and poach until the whites set. Remove with a slotted spoon.

33. Eggs Benedict: Make the hollandaise: Purée egg yolk, with 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and cayenne and salt to taste. Pulse in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Place the sauce in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thick. Make Poached Eggs (No. 32); serve on English muffins with fried Canadian bacon and the hollandaise.

34. Arepas Benedict: Make Eggs Benedict (No. 33); use arepas or corn cakes instead of English muffins and serrano ham instead of Canadian bacon. Stir chopped cilantro into the hollandaise.

35. Bacon-and-Egg Salad: Make Poached Eggs (No. 32). Sprinkle bacon with five-spice powder and fry until crisp; crumble and toss with arugula, sliced pear and vinaigrette. Top with the eggs.

36. Nest Egg: Cut a round out of a slice of bread; toast the bread in a nonstick skillet with butter. Crack an egg into the hole, add salt and pepper, cover and cook until the white sets. Serve with bacon.

37. Nest Egg with Manchego: Cut a round out of a slice of bread; flatten and press back in the hole. Toast the bread in an ovenproof skillet with butter. Crack an egg into the hole, sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated manchego and bake at 375? until set, 2 minutes. Top with smoked paprika and parsley.

38. Eggs in Purgatory: Fill a small baking dish halfway with hot marinara sauce. Crack in 6 eggs and bake at 350 degrees F until the whites are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with Parmesan.

39. Moroccan Eggs: Toast 1 cup chickpeas and some ground cumin and paprika in an ovenproof skillet with olive oil. Fill the skillet with hot marinara sauce. Crack in 6 eggs and bake at 350 degrees F until the whites are firm, 10 to 12 minutes.

40. Fried Eggs: Crack 4 eggs into a skillet with 2 teaspoons bacon drippings, butter or oil. Add salt and pepper; cook until the edges are opaque, 2 minutes. Cover and cook 4 to 6 more minutes.

41. Fried Eggwich: Make 1 Fried Egg (No. 40) and fry 2 slices Canadian bacon. Serve on a toasted English muffin with sliced tomato and jack cheese.

42. Steak and Eggs: Mix 1/2 stick soft butter with Worcestershire sauce. Season 1 pound flank steak with salt and pepper; sear in plain butter. Make Fried Eggs (No. 40). Slice the steak and top with the flavored butter and the eggs.

43. Hash-Brown Eggs: Fry 1 cup each chopped onion and grated potato in a cast-iron skillet with butter until crisp. Add 1/2 cup grated cheddar and crack in 2 eggs. Bake at 425 degrees F until set; top with salsa.

44. Fry-Up: Fry 2 sausage links, 2 sausage patties and 4 bacon slices in a skillet. Add 1 sliced tomato, crack in 4 eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the eggs set.

45. Nicoise Deviled Eggs: Make Hard-Cooked Eggs (No. 5); halve and scoop out the yolks. Mash with 3 tablespoons olive oil, a can of tuna, chopped parsley and a splash of lemon juice. Scoop into the whites; top with sliced olives and tomatoes.

46. Huevos Rancheros: Sauté 1 each diced jalapeno and garlic clove in a skillet with vegetable oil and a pinch of cumin. Add 1 can crushed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo; simmer until thick. Add 4 eggs and poach until set. Serve with tortillas and queso fresco.

47. Spaghetti Pie: Mix 1/2 cup milk, 8 beaten eggs, 3 cups cooked spaghetti, 1 cup shredded pecorino, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Cook 1/4 pound diced pancetta in a small cast-iron skillet. Add the egg mixture and cook until the bottom sets, then bake at 325 degrees F, 25 minutes.

48. Ham Frittata: Beat 8 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup shredded pecorino, and salt and pepper. Sauté 1 cup sliced asparagus and 3 ounces diced ham in an ovenproof nonstick skillet with oil. Add the eggs; cook until the bottom sets, then bake at 325 degrees F, 25 minutes.

49. Spring Frittata: Soak 1/2 cup stale bread cubes in 1/2 cup milk; mix with 8 beaten eggs. Add 3/4 cup ricotta, 1 teaspoon chopped thyme, and salt and pepper. Sauté 1 cup shredded zucchini in an ovenproof nonstick skillet with oil. Add the egg mixture; cook as directed for Ham Frittata (No. 48).

50. Spanish Tortilla: Simmer 2 1/2 pounds sliced potatoes and 1 sliced onion in 1 1/2 cups olive oil until tender. Drain, then mix with 8 beaten eggs. Pour into a nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook until almost set, 15 minutes; flip and finish cooking, 5 more minutes.