Recipe: Hawaiian Roll Egg-in-a-Hole

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the…read more
updated Apr 30, 2019
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Credit: Leela Cyd

This fun version of egg-in-a-hole is easier to cook for a crowd, and delivers big on flavor.

Makes12

Prep25 minutes

Cook20 minutes to 25 minutes

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(Image credit: Leela Cyd)

Meet my new favorite brunch dish: Hawaiian Roll Egg-in-a Hole. You might be familiar with egg-in-a-hole as a beloved childhood breakfast dish, but this version is easier to cook for a crowd, and delivers big on flavor.

Serve this egg bake for family brunch, or whip it up when you’re feeding a hungry crowd. Here are my tricks for nailing it every time.

(Image credit: Meghan Splawn)

The Best Eggs for Hawaiian Roll Egg-in-a-Hole

At first glance, this recipe is pretty straightforward: Make a well in each roll, crack in an egg, and bake! But if you’ve tried this process without a recipe, as I once did, you’ll find that the standard large egg takes so long to cook that by the time the whites in the center eggs are set, the exterior eggs are cooked solid. For the best jammy yolks, use medium eggs for this dish instead. You’ll need one dozen.

If you find yourself with only large eggs, don’t despair. Draining off just a bit of each white (about a tablespoon) will work, too. To do this, you can crack the eggs over a container and separate out a bit of white, or you can crack each egg into a fine-mesh strainer and drain off a bit of the white that way too.

(Image credit: Meghan Splawn)

As for the other ingredients, I love prosciutto and Parmesan, but thinly sliced ham or cheddar would be lovely too. Just don’t forget to season each egg, and add some fresh herbs before serving.

Hawaiian Roll Egg-in-a-Hole

This fun version of egg-in-a-hole is easier to cook for a crowd, and delivers big on flavor.

Prep time 25 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes

Makes 12

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • 1 (12-ounce) package

    Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls, such as King’s

  • 6

    thin slices prosciutto (about 6 ounces), halved crosswise

  • 6 ounces

    finely grated Parmesan cheese

  • 12

    medium eggs

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup

    thinly sliced scallions or chives

Instructions

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  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish, preferably metal, with cooking spray.

  2. Use a paring knife to cut 1 1/2-inch wide circles in the top of each bun. Gently pull to remove the circle and some of the filling of each bun. Transfer the whole sheet of dinner rolls to the baking dish. Add the “holes” to the pan on either end of the buns — they’ll crisp and act as little soldiers when you’re eating.

  3. Line each hole with a piece of prosciutto (it will cover the bottom and go up 2 sides), pressing gently to compact the roll a bit to form a cup. Sprinkle the each cup with about 2 teaspoons of Parmesan. Carefully crack an egg into cup. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, salt, and pepper.

  4. Bake until the whites are mostly set and the yolks look jammy, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes (keep in mind the eggs will continue to cook as the buns sit). Sprinkle the buns with the scallions or chives just before serving.

Recipe Notes

Using large eggs: Medium eggs work best, but if you’ve got the standard large eggs at home, simple drain off about half of the white (you can save this for later) when cracking.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.