12 ways to use up eggs

Fiona Logan

Former digital editor Fiona (aka Fee). She’s a qualified patisserie chef and loves to bake for others in her spare time.

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If the cupboards are bare and your energy to nip out to the shops seems to be lacking, you can always rely on having a box of eggs in the fridge. For those inevitable “eggs for dinner” evenings, try one of our easy recipes, which all use just a handful of common ingredients and are the perfect way to use up eggs…

And if you’re really running low on supplies, discover our 14 easy recipes using a tin of tomatoes.

1. Quick egg fried rice

This speedy take on classic egg fried rice still tastes just as good with all your favourite Chinese dishes, but we’ve used ready-cooked rice in this recipe to save time.

2. Aromatic egg curry

Create our fragrant curry sauce recipe or simply use a jar of curry sauce for this easy vegetarian egg, spinach and potato curry. It’s free from dairy and gluten too – so everyone can enjoy it!

3. Avocado, bacon and fried egg on toast

Start your day (or end it) in the right way with this simple breakfast recipe of avocado, streaky bacon and fried egg. If you don’t have avocado in the fridge, then you can go without it. And bacon could always be swapped for some cold meat, if stocks are low.

4. French toast (eggy bread)

A simple French toast recipe; sliced white bread is dipped in a vanilla egg mix then fried, before dipping in sugar. A devilish breakfast or brunch recipe. Omit the sugar and the vanilla if you’d prefer yours savoury – and add a pinch of salt. Ketchup optional!

5. Easy shakshuka (baked eggs)

You may have spotted this popular brunch dish popping up all over the shop of late. We think this easy shakshuka – a classic Middle Eastern lunch recipe – is brilliant served any time, mopped up with good bread. Essentially, all you need is a tin of chopped tomatoes, some eggs, peppers and chillies and it’s all yours…

6. Poached eggs with harissa chickpeas and garlic yoghurt

Adding a touch of harissa to this easy chickpea recipe transforms this simple meal into a satisfying, flavour-packed midweek supper. If you don’t have any harissa, some chillies and a dash of extra seasoning will still bring this dish to life!

6. Frittata with cheese and herbs

Just five ingredients (plus a knob of butter) stand in between you and this easy frittata recipe. It’s the ultimate saviour when you’re really out of ideas.

7. One-pan chilli eggs

An easy fried egg recipe, with a bit of a premium upgrade, that’s just as good for dinner as it is breakfast. Serve these one-pan eggs with whatever you’ve got in; bread, pittas or even beans!

8. Quick and easy tomato omelette

Try making this healthy omelette recipe for breakfast or dinner – it’s packed full of protein to help you feel fuller for longer. We’ve used chopped tomatoes and parsley but when it comes to omelettes, the choice of toppings is entirely in your hands; use whatever you’ve got in your fridge!

Click here for a handy guide on how to make the perfect omelette.

9. Simple thin pancakes

If you thought pancakes were just for Shrove Tuesday, you were seriously mistaken. Try our simple pancake recipe for a great store-cupboard meal. Scatter an abundance of sweet toppings over them if you fancy a dessert, or go savoury with cheeses, meats and herbs. Click here for our guide to making the perfect pancakes or browse all of our pancake recipes.

10. Classic quiche Lorraine

For anyone with a little more time on their hands, having a box of eggs is the perfect excuse to rustle-up a quiche. Our classic quiche Lorraine recipe goes lovely with a side salad for dinner or is a great lunch on its own.

11. Baked potato and egg florentine

A simple dish packed full of hearty vegetarian ingredients, including spinach, pine nuts and mozzarella.

12. Chicken and egg comfort

This bowl of goodness is based on the Greek avgolemono – basically a soup with chicken, orzo pasta and a poached egg, enlivened with parsley. The dish is lemony-fresh, comforting and invigorating, like springtime in a bowl.