Egg in a Basket Breakfast Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

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Egg in a Basket is a simple, yet delicious breakfast dish that you can have on the table in less than 10 minutes. A variation of the classic British dish – toad in the hole – this recipe features just toast and a runny fried egg.

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Egg in a Basket Recipe

Toad in a Hole, Egg in a Hole, Hole in One, Eggs in a Nest, Frog Eyes, One-Eyed Jack—whatever you call these, they are a treat.

Frog eyes are a simple skillet egg recipe. If you want to make several eggs in a hole at once, try using an electric gridle. My husband eats three or four of these at a time, so I typically prefer the electric gridle. He’s a hard-working farmer who needs the nourishment to sustain him through the day.

The butter and olive oil together toasts the bread to a delicious golden brown, and the toasted middle piece is perfect for dipping in the runny egg.

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Toad in a Hole

My husband and I started eating these toad in hole eggs when we first got married. He saw someone make them on tv, and he was bound and determined to make them himself. We’ve been eating them ever sense; although we most often call them frog eyes.

The little crispy center is perfect to dip in the runny egg. My girls don’t like their eggs runny, so I just go ahead and cook until the center is set. It’s the same except for the fried egg in the center instead of the runny egg.

This easy egg dish can be made for dinner for a quick weeknight meal. Sometimes we want our eggs a bit fancier, so we make our Baked Eggs and Asparagus dish.

If the kids turn their noses up at runny eggs, go ahead and break the yolks. If they still complain, fix them scrambled eggs in the microwave while making yourself this dish. Here are directions from Beyer Beware.

Runny Egg in Toast

Frog eyes is Kevin’s favorite breakfast and we started making it together when we were first married. Growing up, we only ate eggs over hard or scrambled at our house. This is the recipe that turned me on to runny eggs, and I didn’t know what I was missing!

We call this recipe Toad in the Hole in our house but when I went to share it on the blog, I realized it’s more of an Egg in a Basket! A classic Toad in the Hole breakfast features sausage baked within a Yorkshire pudding but many call a sunny side egg cooked within a piece of toast by the same name.

Have some fun with the shape of the hole in the bread by using different shaped cookie cutters like a heart or a flower. Don’t have cookie cutters? Use a drinking glass to make the hole.

What do I need to Make Eggs in a Basket?

Ingredient List for Egg in a Basket

Bread (your favorite type–white, wheat, rye, etc.)

Eggs

Butter and/or Olive Oil

Salt and Black Pepper

How to Make Eggs in a Basket on a Griddle or in a Skillet

Instructions:

  1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet or on a griddle over medium to high heat.
  2. Cut a hole in the middle of a piece of bread and butter the inner piece of bread on both sides and place in skillet.
  3. Place the outer piece of bread in the skillet and crack an egg in the middle.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cook until bottom of bread is browned and flip. Cook for another 30 seconds or until the egg is cooked to your desired amount.

Full recipe steps and ingredient amounts for eggs in a hole is found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

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Egg in a Basket Breakfast Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (16)

Print Recipe

Egg in a Basket - Toad in a Hole Recipe

Egg in a Basket is a simple, yet delicious breakfast dish that you can have on the table in less than 10 minutes. A variation of the classic British dish - toad in the hole - this one features just toast and a runny fried egg.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy egg recipe, egg in a basket, egg in a hole, frog eyes, runny eggs, skillet egg recipe, toad in the hole

Servings: 4

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 eggs or however many you want to make
  • 4 slices bread or however many you want to make
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat griddle or skillet over medium/high heat.

  • Add butter and olive oil; heat until butter is melted, and it starts to sizzle.

    Egg in a Basket Breakfast Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (17)

  • Use a cookie cutter (glass or mason jar band works too) to cut a hole in the bread.

    Egg in a Basket Breakfast Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (18)

  • Put the outer bread pieces on the griddle. Crack an egg in the center, ensuring the yolk doesn't break. Butter the bread cirlces and add to the griddle. Season with salt and pepper.

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  • Cook for approximately 1 minute or until bottom of bread gets toasted.

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  • Before flipping, you can drizzle the top with additional olive oil if desired.

  • Flip and cook for 30 seconds to a minute of until the desired doneness.

    Egg in a Basket Breakfast Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (21)

  • To eat, dip the toasted bread circles into the runny eggs.

    Egg in a Basket Breakfast Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (22)

Notes

  • If you're making several of these, consider using an electric gridle.
  • I love the combination of butter and olive oil but you can stick to using one or the other.
  • If you want a sunny side up egg instead of an over easy egg, toast one side of the bread in the oil, flip and then add the egg and let it cook to your preference.
  • Have an abundance of eggs? Try Sausage and Egg Casserole or Ham and Cheese Quiche.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 325IU | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

Egg in a Basket Breakfast Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

What are eggs in a basket also called? ›

There are many names for the dish, including "bullseye eggs", "eggs in a frame", "egg in a hole", "eggs in a nest", "gashouse eggs", "gashouse special", "gasthaus eggs", "hole in one", "one-eyed Jack", "one-eyed Pete", "one-eyed Sam", "pirate's eye", and "popeye".

Is eggs in a basket the same as toads in the hole? ›

Most every region of the country has their own name for this popular breakfast dish. We called it eggs in the basket or toad in the hole, Paula Deen calls it “One-Eyed Sailor” in honor of her husband Michael, and I'm sure y'all may call it something completely different in your neck of the woods.

What is a piece of toast with an egg in the middle called? ›

While you'd rarely find people tinkering with the name eggs Benedict, what to call a fried-egg-in-toast remains in flux today. It's earned a slew of monikers, from the strange to the provocative: bird's nest, egg-in-a-basket, the Popeye, the one-eyed jack, and in a confusing twist to Brits, a toad-in-a-hole.

Where did eggs in a basket originate? ›

Multiple cultures, it seems, were already making the dish, most notably Italians who made a version with peppers and tomatoes called "uova fritte nel pane." Its first official appearance with an American-sounding name, however, seems to be as a recipe for "eggs with a hat" in an 1890 printing of the "Boston Cooking ...

What does the name Iggy mean for a dog? ›

But it turns out that the meaning behind the name is what makes many dog owners choose it for the new canine friends in their life. In Latin, Iggy means "the Fiery One", which matches any pup's adventurous side.

What is a tadpole egg? ›

These eggs float on the water in ponds, lakes, and rivers, and look like a large mass of jelly. These eggs are known as frogspawn and will hatch into tadpoles.

What is the meaning of bullseye egg? ›

In central and northern India's English-speaking middle classes and mid-level restaurants, "single-fried" refers to sunny side up (also known as a "bullseye") and "double-fried" to over hard.

What is a toad egg? ›

Toads lay long strings of eggs which you'll usually spot wrapped around vegetation in slightly deeper water. As tadpoles grow it's easier to tell the difference: frog tadpoles change to more of a greenish grey colour with gold speckles and they no longer shoal. Toad tadpoles stay black.

Is it better to eat 3 eggs or 2 eggs for breakfast? ›

For most healthy adults, it's safe to eat 1–2 eggs a day depending on how much other cholesterol is in your diet. If you already have high cholesterol or other risk factors for heart disease, it may be best to eat no more than 4–5 eggs per week.

What kind of eggs does Mcdonald's use for their breakfast? ›

Round Egg: We use a USDA Grade A cracked into an 'egg ring' to get that iconic round shape for our Egg McMuffin®. Scrambled Eggs: Our scrambled eggs are made with liquid eggs that are cooked fresh on our grill with real butter.

What are the healthiest eggs to eat for breakfast? ›

If you do want the healthiest breakfast possible and don't mind spending a few extra bucks, Sharp recommends omega-3-enriched eggs. These eggs are laid by hens whose feed is supplemented with fat sources like flaxseed. Omega-3s are essential fats that 68% of adults and over 95% of children don't consume enough of.

What is a word for put all eggs in one basket? ›

put eggs in one basket (verb as in chance) Strong matches. attempt gamble hazard jeopardize plunge speculate stake try venture wager wildcat.

What is the idiom about eggs in a basket? ›

If someone puts all their eggs in one basket, they put all their effort or resources into doing one thing so that, if it fails, they have no alternatives left. The key word here is diversify; don't put all your eggs in one basket.

What is it called when you gather eggs? ›

Oology can also refer to the hobby of collecting wild birds' eggs, sometimes called egg collecting, birdnesting or egging, which is now illegal in many jurisdictions.

What is the eggs in a basket theory? ›

The logic is quite simple. If you invest in things that do not move in the same direction, at the same time, or at the same pace, then you will reduce your chances of losing all of your money at the same time or at the same pace.

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