Keeping chickens for eggs and meat has become quite a movement, especially in the last year. For us the reasons are many, to raise our own chickens. As Lacy recently blogged about, the eggs are so much better for you than store bought eggs. We like knowing what goes into the foods we eat. Our chickens are dual purpose birds. They give us beautiful brown eggs and home grown meat for on the table.
If you are just starting out with chickens, you will eventually find yourself asking this question one day when you look in the fridge. “What on earth am I going to do with all those eggs?” I’m going to give you some EGGcellent ideas on what to do with some of them!
First, you should never overlook the obvious choice. Tomorrow morning, instead of going for that box of cereal, make your family a wonderful cooked breakfast with eggs. I like to make a big batch of them scrambled. Break your eggs into a container. Add any seasoning that you might want like salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, red pepper, whatever you prefer. Beat them up with a fork and cook in a skillet, (I use no-stick for easy clean up) over medium heat. When the eggs are done, sprinkle with your favorite cheese and let set a few minutes to melt. YUM!
Another wonderful way to use up a few eggs is to make a quiche. GRIT has a great recipe for one that I highly recommend!
If I want to use up a few dozen eggs at a time, I turn them into little devils! My family loves deviled eggs! They are very easy to make, and you can be so creative with them. First, you have to hard-boil your eggs. I recommend cooking plenty because they will disappear quickly! When they are done, peel and rinse. Now you simply take a sharp knife and cut the hard-boiled eggs in half and pop out the yoke into a bowl. Set the whites aside to refill later. I just use a spoon to smash the yolks, and then the fun part begins. You can add almost anything you can think of to the mix here. I start with mayo and mustard. I just spoon some into the egg yolk and stir. If it seems a little dry, I just add some more. I don’t use exact measurements. Then I start adding the “good stuff.” Add whatever seasoning you like and want to try. There are no rules. You can also add bacon, or chunks of ham, onion, green pepper … you name it. The last batch I made, I used bacon onion seasoning mix, dill, and some horseradish sauce. My husband approved of this mixture when he tested! When you are finished with your own special concoction, just spoon the filling back into the egg whites. Use them on top of a salad, or just serve them on a tray.
When I peel my hard-boiled eggs, I always have some that don’t look so pretty when I’m finished. Those eggs get chopped up and put into a separate bowl. They then get turned into another great way to use up eggs, egg salad. Like the deviled egg filling, you can be very creative with egg salad. To my chopped eggs I add once again, mayo and mustard. Then I like to add onion, and whatever other seasoning I’m in the mood for. I like to add ground red pepper for a little kick. Taste test as you go and adjust accordingly. Spread on some bread, add some lettuce, and voila, a yummy sandwich!
If you have a favorite egg recipe that you use all the time, please feel free to share. I’m always on the lookout for ways to use those eggs!
