5 Egg Dinners You Can Make When the Fridge Is Nearly Empty

The short answer: combine eggs with one filling base you already have, such as cooked rice, bread, potatoes, tortillas or a can of tomatoes, and add any single vegetable or sauce. That formula covers almost every quick egg dinner, and most take 10 to 25 minutes.

Eggs work so well for last-minute meals because they cook fast, bind leftovers together, and take on whatever flavor you pair them with. Plan on 2 eggs per person for a light dinner, or 3 if eggs are the only protein.

Five dinners at a glance

1. Fried egg rice bowl

Warm leftover rice in a bowl. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then crack in 2 eggs. The hot oil puffs and crisps the edges of the whites in about 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the eggs over the rice and finish with a teaspoon of soy sauce and some hot sauce. A handful of spinach wilted in the same pan makes it a fuller meal.

2. Spanish-style potato tortilla

Thinly sliced potatoes and onion are cooked slowly in olive oil until soft, drained, mixed with beaten eggs, rested, then cooked into a thick round that you flip with a plate. It takes longer than the other ideas here, but it feeds four and is good at room temperature. Our Spanish potato tortilla recipe walks through the flip. If you have leftover boiled or roasted potatoes, slice them and skip the slow-cooking step to save about 20 minutes.

3. Eggs poached in tomato sauce

Soften a diced onion in oil, add garlic and a teaspoon each of cumin and smoked paprika, then a 28-ounce can of tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened, make wells, crack in the eggs, cover, and cook on low until the whites are set, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with bread for scooping. The full method is in our skillet shakshuka. Leftover marinara works too.

4. Soft scrambled eggs on toast

Whisk eggs with a pinch of salt and, if you like, a splash of milk. Melt a little butter over low heat, add the eggs, and stir gently and continuously with a spatula for 3 to 5 minutes until they form soft, creamy curds. Take the pan off the heat while they still look slightly wet; they keep cooking for a few seconds. Pile onto buttered toast.

5. Egg fried rice

Scramble the eggs first and set them aside, stir-fry garlic and scallion whites, then add cold rice and press it against the hot pan so it toasts. Season with soy sauce and sesame oil and fold the eggs back in. Cold, cooked rice works best because the grains are drier and separate more easily. See the 15-minute egg fried rice.

Cooking eggs safely

• USDA guidance is to cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm, and to cook egg dishes such as frittatas and casseroles to 160°F (71°C).
• Runny yolks are a common preference. If you serve them, pasteurized eggs lower the risk, and they are the safer choice for anyone who is pregnant, very young, older, or has a weakened immune system.
• Store eggs in their carton in the main part of the refrigerator. USDA says shell eggs keep 3 to 5 weeks there.
• The "float test" tells you about age, not safety. USDA notes that an egg floats when its air cell has grown; it may be poor quality but can still be safe. Crack it into a bowl and discard it if it smells or looks off.

Troubleshooting

• Rubbery scrambled eggs: the heat was too high. Use low heat and take them off before they look done.
• Watery tortilla or frittata: wet vegetables release liquid. Cook vegetables until their moisture evaporates before adding eggs.
• Shakshuka whites won't set but yolks are firming: cover the pan and lower the heat so steam cooks the tops of the eggs.
• Fried rice is mushy: the rice was warm or freshly cooked. Spread fresh rice on a tray and chill it first.