Eggs in a basket, eggs in a nest, egg in a hole, it doesn't matter what you call them, I love eggs fried into my toast. They're comforting in all the right ways and can be a great addition to your holiday breakfast or brunch table. The only problem is making them all on demand can be a little time consuming. Well forget that idea and turn to your oven instead.
Earlier this week I stopped in at V.K. Rees Photograhpy and spied this amazing picture of egg in basket being made. It had never, ever occurred to me to bake them all on a cookie sheet at the same time. I've done it twice this week to test the theory out and it's worked perfectly. I did however start with toasted bread, but the holes, cracked the eggs and popped them in a 350 degree oven until set. Perfect!
Now, that aside, many of you are probably looking at the photo above and saying Sarah, that's not really egg in a basket because there is no egg. And you my detective friends, would be right. This version of egg in a nest is egg-less! The recipe instead calls for tofu and squash to be baked up and it looks simple smashing and is a great idea for those invited to your holiday meal who aren't into the egg scene.
• Read More: Eggless Egg in a Basket from V.K. Rees Photography
Related: Egg in a Basket from Joy of Oh Joy!
(Image: V.K. Rees Photography)
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no no no! Deception is wrong! Eggs in a basket should be eggs in a basket and not tofu and squash!
@fatguy1966: Concur!
It's not deception; you're serving those to people who are vegan. Or you're offering them alongside the regular version.
@JackieDee30 Then call it Tofu and Squash in a basket. I got all excited to see if there was a way to make it fast for a crowd and then come to find out it is not eggs after all! Deception I tell you!
Definitely deception!
Although am I the only one who calls these "toad in a hole"??!
@fatguy - I'm pretty sure you can make them in the oven with eggs just as well. I make eggs over potato, baked in the oven, and the eggs "fry" up nicely.
Clampers: Nope! Never even heard 'egg in a basket'. I grew up with Toad in the Hole my whole childhood. My mom's from Bristol and grew up in Canada-Maybe it's a British or Canadian thing?
I love the idea of baking them for a crowd, but mine would definitely be egg-based.
I call them "toad in a hole" too! I've only ever made them in the oven. My favorite part is the leftover circle of toast!
I would be all for calling it "Toad in the hole" for the tofu and squash dish...
Wrong I tell you!
Toad in the hole is a totally different thing. It involves sausage in a bready, eggy, sort of Yorkshire pudding-y thing.
And the middle paragraph is all about how to make actual eggs in baskets (with EGGS) for a crowd using this method. The squash thing at the end (illustrated in the photo) is just an added idea for your vegan guests. Not sure what all the confusion is about.
Why do we celebrate famous chefs for making creations that look like one thing and are actually made of something else, calling it whimsical, and then when they do it on a vegan blog, call it deceptive? Speaking of eggs, I quote Tom Sietsma of the Washington Post on Michel Richard's Citronelle: "my favorite dessert is a plate of cracked-open eggs -- no, wait: The shells are designer chocolate, the yolks are tart lemon curd, and the whites are soft French meringue. Richard, with the support of chef David Deshaies, is a master wit. "
Consistency, people!
I'm going to have to side with the objectors here. Ever since someone tried to convince me as a child that carob was "just like chocolate" this kind of food fakery really ticks me off. There are plenty of delicious vegan breakfast options. Why not make something honest and good for your vegan guests, instead of a poor (and btw vile sounding) facsimile of an egg dish? Carob is fine, but it isn't chocolate. Squash and tofu, also lovely, but there are plenty of nicer ways to prepare them that do more justice to the ingredients than baking them in toast so they vaguely resemble a set of ingredients with entirely different set of characteristics.
My mother made these with real eggs and called them popeye eggs. Nothing to do with the sailor man. I guess it's because it looks like an eye popping out of the the toast. I love the real version of this. So nice to know that vegans can enjoy it too, just hope it's as yummy as the original recipe.
Oh I never thought about making these on a sheet in the oven! What a wonderful idea! My family loves eggs in a basket, I'm thinking this will be great for Christmas morning-- thanks for the suggestion!
Good idea, to make them in the oven. We've always called them 'egg in a frame.'
what's wrong with you people?
if it tastes good, it is good (to paraphrase duke ellington).
CHILL!
I had no intent to deceive anyone as to how to make eggs in a basket faster and there is a paragraph dedicated to it. But I did want to take a moment to mention this vegan option as it looks like a tasty one!
i feel bad for the bloggers on this site that have to be "cordial" in their responses to your bizarre comments.
i think its great to show 2 options - regular and vegan friendly. thanks.
I'm not sure what the readers who are upset that it's vegan are complaining about, since Sarah Rae said in the title of the post that it was a vegan recipe...
I always heard of this as toad in a hole, but I loved looking at the blogger's long list of other things it's called!
They were called elephant eyes in my family. How does the taste compare? That is the question I am concerned with... What kind of squash are you using? butternut would make it sweet yes?
I grew up calling these eggs in a nest :)
How is it deception if the title is "With A VEGAN Twist?"
Psyched to try this recipe. I had always wanted to find a vegan way to do this.