Breakfast for dinner is the fastest way I know to get 3 eggs into every person at the table. Eggs cook in minutes, they are cheap, and they pair with sausage, beans and cheese without any planning. These are grouped by what is on the plate: eggs as the main, tacos and bowls, griddle food, toast, and a few casseroles. Most are on the table in under 30 minutes.
| Group | Dishes |
|---|---|
| Eggs as the main event | Shakshuka, Rolled Omelette with Chive Oil, Baked Eggs with Bread, Egg Muffins |
| Tacos, bowls and rice | Breakfast Burrito Bowl, Breakfast Tacos, Chilaquiles with Eggs, Egg Fried Rice |
| Griddle and crepes | Pancakes with Eggs and Sausage, Dutch Baby, Crepes, Savory Spinach Crepes |
| Toast, 4 ways | Poached Egg Avocado Toast, Everything Avocado Toast, Ricotta Toast, Beans on Toast |
| Casseroles and full plates | Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole, Pesto Salmon with Hash Browns, Cinnamon Roll Egg Bake Brunch Plate |
Eggs as the main event
Shakshuka
A skillet of tomato sauce with onion, peppers, cumin and paprika, with eggs cracked in and covered until the whites set. It is a 25 minute dinner that feeds 4 from 8 eggs. I crumble feta over the top and add a can of chickpeas to the sauce for extra protein. Crusty bread handles the sauce.
Rolled Omelette with Chive Oil
A Japanese style rolled omelette made by cooking thin layers of egg and rolling each one onto the last. Four eggs make 1 omelette for 1 person, which is a solid protein count for a dinner that takes 10 minutes. Slice it into rounds and drizzle with chive oil. My version gets a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar in the eggs.
Baked Eggs with Bread
Eggs baked in ramekins with a spoon of cream and herbs, served with toast for dipping. Two eggs per ramekin at 375°F for about 12 minutes. FSIS lists 160°F as the safe temperature for eggs, so cook them until the whites are fully set. For dinner, I put a layer of chopped ham in the bottom of each ramekin first.
Egg Muffins
Eggs, cheese and diced vegetables baked in a muffin tin for 20 minutes. They are a breakfast staple that turns into dinner with a salad on the side and 4 muffins per plate. I add cooked sausage or bacon to half the tin so there are 2 options. Leftovers reheat in under a minute.
Tacos, bowls and rice
Breakfast Burrito Bowl
Everything that goes in a breakfast burrito, in a bowl: scrambled eggs, black beans, potatoes, salsa and cheese. Without the tortilla the eggs and beans are the whole meal, and I use 3 eggs per bowl. Roast the potatoes ahead so assembly is 10 minutes. A spoon of Greek yogurt stands in for sour cream.
Breakfast Tacos
Soft scrambled eggs in warm tortillas with cheese, salsa and whatever greens are around. Two tacos is a snack, so I plan on 3 per person with chorizo or bacon folded into the eggs. Warm the tortillas directly over a gas burner for a few seconds each. Hot sauce goes on the table, not in the eggs.
Chilaquiles with Eggs
Tortilla chips simmered in salsa verde until they soften, topped with fried eggs, cotija and onion. It takes 15 minutes and uses up half a bag of chips. For protein, I top each bowl with 2 eggs and a handful of shredded chicken. Eat it right away since the chips keep softening as they sit.
Egg Fried Rice
Day old rice fried hard in a wok with scallions, soy sauce and 4 scrambled eggs stirred through. Cold rice is the rule, since fresh rice steams instead of frying. The eggs carry the protein, and I add frozen peas and diced ham to make it a dinner. Ten minutes from cold rice to the table.
Griddle and crepes
Pancakes with Eggs and Sausage
The diner plate: 2 pancakes, 2 eggs and 2 sausage links. The eggs and sausage are what make it a dinner, so I keep the pancakes small and the protein side generous. Cook the sausage first and scramble the eggs in the same pan. Syrup on the pancakes only.
Dutch Baby
A puffed oven pancake from 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of milk, baked in a screaming hot cast iron pan for 20 minutes. It collapses within a minute of coming out, which is normal. For dinner, my pick is the savory version with gruyere and ham baked in. Cut it into wedges at the table.
Crepes
Thin pancakes made from a batter of eggs, milk and flour rested for 30 minutes before cooking. A crepe is a wrapper, so the filling decides whether this is dinner. I fill them with ham, cheese and a fried egg for the main course, then do 1 with Nutella for dessert. A batch of 10 takes about 20 minutes once the pan is hot.
Savory Spinach Crepes
Crepes folded around sauteed spinach, ricotta and a little nutmeg, warmed through in the oven. Ricotta brings more protein than most people expect, and I add 1 cup of shredded chicken to the filling to push it further. Make the crepes earlier in the day and fill them at dinner. Two per person with a salad.
Toast, 4 ways
Poached Egg Avocado Toast
Sourdough, smashed avocado, a poached egg and flaky salt. One slice is a snack, so dinner is 2 slices with 2 eggs each. I poach the eggs in a shallow pan with a splash of vinegar and pull them at 3 minutes. Chili flakes and lemon finish it.
Everything Avocado Toast
Avocado toast with everything bagel seasoning and a sliced hard boiled egg on top. The seasoning does more than it should for a jar of sesame and garlic. I boil 6 eggs at the start of the week for this and for salads. Smoked salmon on top turns it into a full dinner plate.
Ricotta Toast
Thick toast spread with whipped ricotta, then topped sweet with honey and berries or savory with tomatoes and olive oil. Ricotta has enough protein to count, and 2 slices with a fried egg each is my dinner version. Whip the ricotta with a pinch of salt and lemon zest. Toast the bread dark so it holds up.
Beans on Toast
The British standard: baked beans in tomato sauce simmered for 5 minutes and spooned over buttered toast. MyPlate counts beans, peas and lentils as protein foods, which makes this more of a meal than it looks. I grate sharp cheddar over the top and add a fried egg. Dinner for 1 in 10 minutes.
Casseroles and full plates
Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole
Bread, eggs, milk, browned sausage and cheddar baked in 1 dish for 45 minutes. Assemble it in the morning and it is ready to bake when everyone gets home. A pound of sausage and 8 eggs feed 6 with protein to spare. Leftovers go in the fridge within 2 hours, and I portion them into containers for the next 3 days.
Pesto Salmon with Hash Browns
A salmon fillet roasted with pesto on top, served with crispy hash browns and quinoa. Salmon makes it a dinner first and a breakfast second. Twelve minutes at 425°F gets a 6 ounce fillet to flaky. I press the hash browns thin in a hot pan so they crisp instead of steaming.
Cinnamon Roll Egg Bake Brunch Plate
A square of egg bake, a cinnamon roll and a pile of arugula salad with berries on 1 plate. It covers sweet, savory and green without 3 separate dinners. The egg bake is the protein, and my egg bake always has a pound of sausage in it. Buy the cinnamon rolls if the day got away from you.
