veggie lovers egg-in-a-hole brunch sandwich
Did you know that I despise runny egg yolk?
Apparently, I’m a culinary weirdo in that way. Seems like every good foodwriter includes a snap or twelve of a gooey yellow egg oozing gunk onto a slice of toasted bread. Not my thing. I like my eggs cooked to crispy with a solid center, “well done” in the world of egg. If I so much as have a hint of liquid I’ll probably scream. Not really. That’d be dramatic.
Thankfully, this brunch sandwich is easy to customize to your egg doneness preference. The fillings, too, can be added to or subtracted from based on what you like. I opted for hummus and guacamole as my glue, and roasted red peppers, tomato, and spinach as the heft. Sort of a Mediterranean-meets-avocados type shindig. I finished my sandwich off with a sprinkling of everything seasoning. Amazing. Healthy, filling, loaded with vegetables. The perfect brunch, I think.
For ultimate egg-in-a-hole success, here’s some tips from your friendly neighborhood me:
Choose a sturdy cut of bread. Some type of ciabatta or a thick whole grain slice work really nicely and offer a wonderful base for the other flavors. I would not use a brioche or challah, or a very flimsy white bread. Sog city, in my opinion.
Be sure to grease your skillet generously. The egg may still be pesky and stick a bit, in which case a knife gently run beneath the stubborn portion should do the dislodging trick. 8-12 minutes is the range I found worked to achieve different degrees of yolk gooeyness.
Get A LOT of napkins ready. The appeal of this sandwich is how delectably drippy it might be. You’ll be licking your chops with glee all throughout the eating process.
Are you team runny yolk or team solid? If you try this recipe out, leave a comment below with your thoughts! Don’t forget to find me on Instagram and wave hello, and show me what you’ve made off VE!
Ingredients
- 4 slices your favorite bread (preferably a sturdier loaf)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup hummus
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tomatoes, sliced into rounds
- 1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced into strips
- 1/4 cup guacamole
- everything bagel seasoning, salt, and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an oven-safe skillet with olive oil. Cut about 1 1/2 inch holes in the middle of each bread slice. Brown slices slightly in a toaster. Not too dark, as they will continue to toast in the oven. Place slices in the skillet and crack egg carefully in the center of each hole, but don't worry if some of the whites spill out. They will cook just the same! Slide skillet into the oven and cook for 8-12 minutes until whites are set, on the lower end for a runny yolk and the higher end for a firmer one. If the bread or eggs stick to the pan at all, carefully but firmly run a knife beneath to dislodge.
- To assemble, spread hummus on one slice of the bread. Top with spinach, tomato, and roasted red pepper, then finish with a heap of guacamole. Cap with second slice. Sprinkle everything bagel seasoning, salt, and pepper overtop, as desired. Eat with a napkin bib. Things will get messy.
