Things to do with eggs and ways to cook them

If you’re like me and like eggs, you’ll never be short of ideas for meals at any time of day. I’d quite happily eat eggs at 2 meals a day. They’re a versatile ingredient in the method of cooking, and what they can be used for as a base or an additional ingredient. This post is dedicated to things to do with eggs, and hopefully you’ll get some inspiration for different methods to use.

Benefits of eating eggs

Eggs are super healthy to eat. One large hard boiled egg contains

• Vitamin A: 6% of the Recommended daily allowance (RDA)
• Folate: 5% of the RDA
• Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA
• Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA
• Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA
• Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA
• Selenium: 22% of the RDA

Eggs also contain decent amounts of vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium and zinc. They’re a source of Choline which helps form cell membranes and supports brain function. Yolks contain large amounts of carotenes, of particular note are lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for preventing macular degeneration and cataracts.

A study of nearly half a million people in China suggested that eating one egg a day may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Ways to cook eggs (plus recipe ideas)

Scrambled

Do it properly in a frying pan, or for speed and easier washing up (less patience needed), in a microwave. I’m definitely a fan of the fast way.

What to add to scrambled eggs

Simply add to the pan as you cook them.

• Worcestershire sauce – for a bit of tanginess (my favourite).
• Knob of butter
• Double cream
• Yoghurt (greek preferably for a thicker creamier hint). Whisk into your eggs before cooking
• Herb flavoured cream cheese or Boursin. Added flavour, and creaminess.
• Spring onions
• Pesto
• Crispy bacon – cook first, chop into pieces, and stir into the end stage (if you’ve got no bacon, use crumbled up Frazzles crisps – bizarre but totally good)
• Hot dogs – not the healthiest combo, but heat through on the grill then slice and add to your eggs.
• Fresh tomatoes, chopped. Heat through a bit first, then stir in once the eggs are cooked. An alternative is to use salsa for a bit of a chilli kick (definitely heat through first to help reduce the extra liquid)
• Herbs – chives are a good start point, just cut some fresh ones in. But experiment with which others you like.
• Make breakfast wraps – with cooked bacon, sausage, mushrooms inside a wrap, then toasted

I’ve also seen someone suggest adding some jam to your toast before topping it with scrambled eggs. I’m not sure I fancy that.

Fry

Over easy, sunny side up (with the yolk runny), in a full English breakfast, add to a burger, or as a fried egg sandwich (the perfect ‘just back from clubbing’ snack or hangover cure). Or you can even fry them inside a ring of pepper or a cut out bit of toast for a fancy presentation.

Hard boiled

• Egg mayonnaise sandwich, devilled eggs, add to a salad (Nicoise)
• Add mayonnaise and cress for the best egg mayo sandwiches, but if you’re short of mayonnaise and don’t want to make your own, you can mash avocado and add that into the eggs instead.
• Add to fish pie or meatloaf.
• Make Ramen style soy sauce eggs
• Add them chopped to a potato salad
• Pickle eggs in vinegar
• Make scotch eggs (surround with sausagemeat, then coat with breadcrumbs before cooking)

If you want to try something other than boiling in a pan of water, for easy hard boiled eggs with no complicated timings, evidently you can cook them in the oven. I really want to try this method once but not sure I want to risk it. Oven at 160C/325F, put eggs in a muffin tin to keep them still, then bake for 30 minutes. Cool in iced water for around 10 minutes before peeling.

One easy proven way is to make them in the air fryer. Air fry them (unpricked) at 170C for 8 minutes. Although I tend to use my egg boiler which can do 7 at a time. Plus they’re much easier to peel from the egg boiler or a pan, than from the air fryer.

    

Soft boiled

Eat soft boiled eggs with soldiers (toast fingers, asparagus or breadcrumbed halloumi), or add to salad or asian inspired noodle dishes. (I do them in the air fryer nowadays – 170C for 7 minutes straight from the fridge)

Poached

Easy enough in a pan, but you can even poach in the microwave with practice which I tend to do – it’s less precise but so much faster.

Delicious on top of bubble and squeak with crispy bacon and hollandaise sauce. Or with smashed avocado and fresh chopped tomatoes on toast for brunch

Omelette

Add the toppings on top. You can melt the cheese under the grill, or just leave on the top of the stove to cook a bit more before flipping one half of the omelette over the other half to encase the toppings.

Frittata

Similar to an omelette but cook your fillings before adding the eggs to the pan. The egg cooks around the ingredients, pop under the grill to help set the top. Then slice the frittata into wedges to serve. Try adding diced onion or spring onion, peppers, cooked new potato slices, cooked bacon or pancetta. These are great for using up leftovers but also good to eat cold. Why not add it as a picnic food.

Bake

On their own in ramekins or dishes under the grill, or even on a tomato/rataouille base (or try a sausage, tomato and pepper hash with eggs on top).

You can also bake them in pastry to make a quiche (so much cheaper and tastier than buying a quiche).

An alternative to pastry is to make mini handheld quiches or ‘muffins’. Either straight into the cupcake/muffin tins, or you can add parma ham or serrano to the tin holes to make a ‘case’, then pour in the beaten eggs, add some diced pepper, spring onion or other greens and bake. These are so good as keto snacks as a lunchbox basic.

See Jamie Oliver’s simple baked egg suggestions below.

Atop a pizza

Pizza Express always used to do one on my favourite pizza, but you can easily do it at home, just keep an eye on when you add it to the top so you don’t burn the other pizza toppings while cooking the egg.

General cooking and recipe ideas featuring eggs

• Add to pasta to make a carbonara sauce
• Make mayonnaise with yolks
• Make lemon curd
• Make custard (also good for egg custard tarts, ice cream, bread and butter pudding)
• Use for chocolate mousse
• Egg fried rice
• Yorkshire puddings or popovers
• Pancakes

How do you cook your eggs?