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 is the Iggy in the basket? ›

The dish consists of a slice of bread with an egg in the middle, fried with butter or oil. It is commonly prepared by cutting a circular or square hole in the center of a piece of bread, which may be buttered. The bread is fried in a pan with butter, margarine, cooking oil, or other fat.

What are eggs in a basket also called? ›

If you've never heard of eggs in a basket before, chances are you know the dish by another name. In fact, some sources claim there are as many as 66 different names for this dish! Some of the most popular names include egg in a hole, eggs in a frame, gashouse eggs, and a one-eyed Jack.

How to make eggs na basket? ›

Step 1In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Step 2Use a large glass or paring knife to cut a hole in the middle of your bread about 2” in diameter. When butter has melted, place bread, and the bread round that was removed from the slice, into the skillet. Step 3Carefully crack egg into the hole in toast.

What is it called when you cook an egg in a piece of bread? ›

Egg in the hole makes a delicious breakfast! A runny yolk egg cooked in the center of a piece of toast and eaten with a fork is a great way to enjoy an egg in a slightly different way.

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.

Where did the egg in a basket originate? ›

A bit of history & pop culture

Eater did a relatively deep dive into the dish a couple of years ago, citing that the first noted recipe for the dish was recorded in Fannie Farmer's "Boston Cooking School Cookbook" in the 1890s.

Does Cracker Barrel have eggs in a basket? ›

Menu Description:"Two slices of sourdough bread grilled with an egg in the middle, served with thick-sliced bacon or smoked sausage patties and fried apples or hash brown casserole." Breakfast is a popular meal at Cracker Barrel restaurants.

What does "don't put all your eggs in a basket" mean? ›

Meaning: This is a piece of advice which means that one should not concentrate all efforts and resources in one area as one could lose everything. Example: Mr Tan's financial adviser urged him to be careful and not put all his eggs in one basket by investing all his money on stocks.

What is it called when you put an egg on a sandwich? ›

An egg sandwich is a sandwich with some kind of cooked egg filling. Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, omelette, sliced boiled eggs and egg salad (a mix of chopped cooked egg and mustard and mayonnaise) are popular options. In the last case, it may be called an egg salad sandwich. Egg sandwich.

What is it called when you cook eggs without flipping them? ›

For sunny side up eggs, continue to cook without flipping until the whites are completely set, and the yolk is still runny. For over easy eggs, once the egg whites are just set and still loose (like in image 2), flip over and cook just a moment longer, leaving the whites just a bit soft and the yolk still runny.

Why is it called a buttered egg? ›

The term “buttered eggs” might bring eggs cooked with butter to mind. But in Cork, Ireland, it once meant rubbing butter on the eggshells of whole, unbroken eggs.

How do you steam eggs without a basket? ›

If you are not using a steamer basket, just fill the bottom of a saucepan with 1/2 inch of water. Heat the water to boiling and add eggs to pot: Heat the water on high heat until it is boiling and producing steam. Turn off the heat and gently place the eggs at the bottom of the steamer basket or the bottom of the pan.

Is it OK to put all your eggs in one 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.

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