Are you looking for a dinner recipe that’s good enough for company but doesn’t break the bank? Mary Rappaport with the Virginia Egg council has the perfect sandwich.
Invite a few friends over to watch a movie or the ball game and casually make this sandwich during the commercials.
This sandwich can be made with ciabatta rolls or focaccia bread and has a unique ‘toad in the hole’ surprise on top. Mary explains, ‘toad in the hole’ refers to an egg cooked in the hole cut out of a piece of bread.
“The bread itself is intensely flavorful, then the layers of cheese, caramelized onions, and bacon, layered around a ‘jammy’ egg is just intensely fabulous (in fact, the house will smell terrific as you prepare it) and it’s sure to be an instant hit, with your guests begging for the recipe,” Rappaport said. “Serve it with a simple arugula salad and some fruit for dessert – easy, delicious, affordable ... now that’s what I’m talking about!”
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 Tbsp butter, plus more to spread on bread
- 1 Focaccia bread loaf, an 8″ segment of ciabatta bread, or 2 individual ciabatta rolls or an 8x4″ roll
- 1 cup grated cheese of your choice
- 4 – 6 slices of bacon, cooked and drained
- 2 eggs
- Melt butter into a skillet over medium heat, add onion and cook slowly until onions caramelize, turn brown, and are translucent. This takes the longest so get it going right away.
- Slice the bread, horizontally, and butter the insides of both top and bottom.
- Make 2 holes in the top of the focaccia loaf (or 1 in each of the ciabatta rolls) using a round cookie cutter or a glass.
- Place buttered sides of bread, heat side down in a hot skillet, over medium heat, and grill.
- Put a small dollop of butter into each bread hole and crack an egg into each. It’ll take a few minutes for eggs to cook, sunny-side-up style.
- Once grilled, flip the bottom over into the pan: sprinkle on the grated cheese, then lay on the bacon strips and smother it all with the cooked onions.
- Top with the focaccia with eggs cooked inside. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Cut the loaf into two portions (ciabatta rolls each serve one) and serve with a side salad.
Makes 2 substantial servings
Virginia Egg Council - www.virginiaeggcouncil.org - eggsrgr8@rev.net