My Best Egg Recipes and Tips
I love these egg recipes! And I have strong opinions about the kinds of eggs that taste best in them. If you enjoy custard desserts or just a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, then trust me, it is so worth the trouble to get high-quality eggs. Fresh eggs make for delectable breakfasts, thick moist cakes, crazy good custards, and the list goes on.
Scroll all the way down if you just want my best egg recipes. On the other hand, read on to learn more about the incredible egg and to read about that time our chickens saved Christmas.
What kinds of eggs are best to buy?
You don’t have to raise your own chickens to make the best versions of these egg recipes. I highly recommend it, but most important thing is how the chickens are raised — namely, whether they are free to roam and forage.
Pasture raised chickens are best: they have the most space to roam and thus the most varied diets. But a “free range” label also means the chickens get at least some access to the outdoors. “Cage free” is better than conventional, but the term can be misleading. It means the chickens have some room to move around, but they may never get outside or breathe fresh air.
How do you know if you have high quality eggs? The yolk will tell. The best eggs have bright orange-yellow yolks that are full of flavor. Our chickens are free to roam their yard and scratch up bugs to eat. The result is the richest, most nutritious yolks.
The only real drawback to our fresh organic eggs is that when hard-boiled, the shell sticks to the egg. This creates a rather nasty looking snack, but a delightfully tasty one, nonetheless. For recipes with beaten eggs, there are only benefits.
Health Benefits of Egg Recipes
Many folks avoid egg recipes for fear of the high cholesterol content in egg yolks. Now, I am no doctor, but from my research there is no proof that eating eggs raises cholesterol after all. To the contrary, they may actually help prevent blood clots, stroke, and heart disease.
Again, though, the chickens’ environment does seem to matter for your nutrition and health. Organic, pasture raised eggs may have higher amounts of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Our bodies need omega-3s, and the standard American diet doesn’t have enough of them. These fatty acids can actually help lower triglycerides.
According to one study, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneration and lower the risk of developing cataracts. Eggs may even help prevent breast cancer and are super for promoting healthy hair and nails. PLEASE GIVE ME AT LEAST ONE EGG A DAY!
We eat fried or poached eggs on sandwiches, over cooked greens, on top of pizzas, on top of cheesy grits, and so much more.
Do you have to refrigerate fresh eggs?
Many people don’t know this, but eggs are laid with a natural antibiotic coating. This coating protects the egg from disease and allows the egg to sit at room temperature for quite a while. Once the coating is washed off, however, you must refrigerate the eggs to keep them fresh. The egg should last for a month or so in the refrigerator after you have removed the protective coating.
To find out if an egg is fresh or not, place it in room temperature water. If it floats or you notice that the shell is cracked, throw it out. Some people will just cook and eat it right away, but I don’t like to take that kind of risk.
The Custard Debacle: That Time Our Chickens Saved Christmas
To me, one of the great things about raising chickens is that you can go right to your backdoor to get the freshest egg possible. I remember one Christmas that our chickens saved the day. I was in charge of the custard dessert, and it turned out perfectly. However, custard is not the easiest thing to travel with.
The kids excitedly piled into the already packed car. (We were not quite sure how we were going to get home with all the presents, too.) While driving to my mother-in-law’s house, we took a fast turn, and as I am sure you suspect, SPLAT went the custard.
We quickly turned the car around and headed home to recreate my perfect custard, only to find that we had no eggs in the fridge. I hoped, prayed, and spoke gently to my able-bodied chickens as I checked for fresh eggs. I am happy to report that they came through: they were sitting on just enough eggs to replace my destroyed dessert.
Stacy Lyn’s Favorite Egg Recipes
Below I share some of my favorite egg recipes. Although you can make them with any eggs, I highly recommend fresh, pasture raised organic ones for the best flavor.
Try these egg recipes for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert. In fact, enjoy them just about any time you get the hankering. Happy Cooking!
Stacy Lyn's Best Egg Recipes
This is not so much an egg recipe -- all you need are eggs, cream, and salt and pepper -- as a tips and tricks post. There is an art to great scrambled eggs. After many experiments, I finally found the right steps to create tender, fluffy, large curds.
One exceptional egg recipe is my Western Open-Faced Venison (you could substitute with beef) Sandwich with a fried egg. The toast holds up to the tomato mixture and the egg. Tomatoes are just the perfect pair with eggs.
Deviled eggs are a staple of Southern cooking. My Granny Gray used dill pickle relish and minced celery instead of the sweet pickles of traditional deviled egg recipes. Here is my version of her recipe.
Traditional Eggs Benedict recipes include ham, English muffins, and poached eggs. Well, I thought, why not make a Southern version with homemade biscuits and crispy bacon? Recipe for homemade hollandaise sauce included.
Egg salad sandwiches are an easy, delicious way to use up fresh eggs and get the protein your body needs.
This breakfast skillet is one of the best ways to serve ground venison with your poached eggs. You can also use grass-fed beef.
Often, Scott and the kids let me sleep in on Mother’s Day and prepare a wonderful breakfast in bed. One of my favorites is this simple yet elegant herb frittata.
This dish is one of the healthiest, tastiest egg recipes ever. I love to serve it with sausage and crusty toasted garlic bread.
All eggnog recipes require the freshest eggs. You can heat the eggs up just enough to kill bacteria, so don't let worries prevent you from making this luscious holiday treat!
The creamy egg custard base with whipped cream makes an easy yet heavenly dessert.
Most of these recipes feature egg yolks, but here's a chance to whip up egg whites into a beautiful meringue.
This meringue pie is one of the all-time most popular recipes on my blog, and with good reason. I include tips for a foolproof meringue that rises just as it should.
There's no doubt about it: custard desserts like this trifle recipe are among the most delectable ways to use eggs.
There’s no diet in the world that could keep me away from these scrumptious banana pudding pies. Treat yourself!
Eggs and three kinds of soft cheese -- cream cheese, mascarpone, and ricotta -- star in this luscious cheesecake recipe. The surprise star of the crust is Sandies shortbread cookie crumbs. Yum!
We have a farm in the FL Panhandle… I collect about 3 dozen eggs a day right now. Instead of hard boiling your fresh eggs … steam them … and put into ice water bath. Cooking takes about the same time and shells slide right off… even fresh out of the nest box.
Thanks Gigi. I’ll give that a try!!
What can you use beside venison?
Skirt steak would be great with this recipe!
Is there another meat to use beside venison?
Yes; My preference would be skirt steak. Really any kind of beef or even lamb will work. You will love this dish. It is full of flavor!! The skirt steak will bring a rich, delicious addition to this dish, as well.