Before the advent of the Bacon Age, when it was decided that everything goes better with bacon, I always thought that most things can be improved with one simple fried egg added to almost any dish. So, yeah, the egg came first. You really can take a not totally interesting dish to the next level by adding a sunny-side up, over easy or poached egg.
Here’s ten dishes made better with a fried egg:
1. Cheeseburger with Fried Egg. The image above was taken by me at bar & restaurant, Greenpoint Heights, of their “Brunch Burger” made with: smoked gouda, bacon, grass fed beef, pickles, tomato, onion, lettuce with cherry mayo and of course a messy egg that brings all the flavors together.
2. Chili with Fried Egg, Cheese and Hot Sauce. Homemade chili or even chili in a can sometimes doesn’t feel like a full meal unless it has that extra kick, like a fried egg. Let some grated cheese melt on the chili and make it a little extra spicy with some Cholula or Tapatio.
3. Ramen with Fried Egg. This is the most common combination you’ll find online and it turns a one dollar snack into a two dollar meal. It would be crazy not to include it on this list, however, I hit my Ramen limit way back in my third year in undergraduate school.
4. Leftover Take Out Food with Fried Egg. Another way to make a more satisfying meal with what you’ve already got in the fridge is to add a fried egg to just about any leftover take out food. I’ve added an egg to everything from my day old Pad Thai to that quesadilla that’s been in my fridge for three days. Basically, any Thai, Chinese & Mexican leftover food gets improved by a fried or poached egg. Try it.
5. Kale with Poached Egg. Stir fry kale with some chopped onions and some minced garlic and you have a very tasty side dish. Throw a poached egg on top and you’ve got a meal. The taste combination of kale, eggs and salt is delicious.
6. Pancakes topped with an Egg. I used to always keep my buttery, syrupy pancakes on one dish and the eggs on the other, thinking they had no business touching each other until they were down the hatch. But an over-easy fried egg on top is kinda of perfect. Eggs work better with maple syrup than you think. If it’s too weird, fry the egg a little longer so it makes less of a mess when eating it.
7. Any Sandwich with a Fried Egg. If you don’t have one of those $5 silicone egg rings, get one. They’re the perfect size to add a fried egg to any sandwich. Really, like any meat and cheese combination works well with an egg. Stay away from the usual condiments and let the runny egg yolks act as the condiment. Also, I’ve been on a bit of a toasted Thomas’ English Muffin as sandwich bread kick. It’s a delicious alternative to any sliced bread.
8. Frozen Dinner with Fried Egg. I don’t eat a lot of microwaveable dinners, but we do keep a couple of Amy’s Frozen Indian dinners, like their Mattar Paneer and Palak Paneer varieties that are simple, yummy meals when we don’t have time to cook a full meal. And sure, eggs aren’t the most typically Indian combination, yet it still works quite well. Okay, I’ll admit the image I used is kind of photoshopped, but you get the idea.
9. Rice & Beans with Egg. Another staple combination that’s a must for this list. So simple, yet so perfectly delicious. Let that runny yolk mix with the rice and beans into a tasty batter. Don’t forget some salt & pepper.
10. Stir Fry with an Egg. Stir fry any combination of vegetables, rice, pasta and or meat and once again, the ultimate food unifier, the sunny-side up egg brings it all together to a simple delicious meal.
There’s got to be other options too out there. Fried eggs on Pizza? On a baked potato with crumbled bacon? What else? What have you added an egg to make a meal more tasty? The options seem limitless. Eggs rule. Just like Bacon. Now get crackin’!