Do you call it an ‘egg-in-a-nest’ or a ‘toad-in-the-hole’? Or something completely different? I call it egg-in-a-nest, obviously, but I’ve heard it called a bunch of things.
If you don’t even know what I’m talking about – it’s a piece of bread that has a hollowed out middle and you crack an egg into the hole to cook while the bread toasts on both sides.
I used to eat these all the time as a kid. They were one of those “special” breakfasts that you had on the weekends. For us it was a rotation between egg-in-a-nest, homemade pancakes, or french toast.
And I haven’t had one in years. I think the hubby made some for the kiddos a few months back and they loved them. But before then, it has been years.
After the hubby made his, I decided to expand on that idea and turn them into one of my favorite sandwiches, a BLT, and an Egg-in-a-nest avocado BLT was born.
I mean, of course I had to add avocado.
I didn’t want to use too many different skillets for this recipe so I tried to use the same one throughout the whole thing – to cooking the bacon to making the egg-in-a-nest. Plus, the bacon grease gives the toast a great flavor and makes for perfect toasting.
Start out by cooking your bacon. I usually cut it in half before cooking so it fits in the pan and I don’t have to cut it later.
Once the bacon is cooked to your liking, remove to paper towel-lined plate and pour 1/2 of the grease out into a reserve container.
While the bacon is cooking you can cut the holes in your 4 slices of bread. I just used a regular round glass but you can use a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, whatever you have to make a hole in the bread.
Place once piece of hollowed out bread in the pan with the 1/2 bacon grease you didn’t drain. Crack the egg into the middle and let cook for 2-3 minutes the flip and cook additional 2-3 minutes. If you don’t want your eggs to runny in the middle, cook them longer. More runny, cook them for a shorter time.
Repeat with the remaining hollowed out bread slices adding reserved bacon grease as needed to make the pan non-stick and brown the bread.
In between cooking the eggs and bread, break out the toaster and toast the remaining 4 pieces of bread. You don’t want only 1/2 of your sandwich toasted and the other half not.
You can also make the bacon avocado mixture as well by combining chopped avocado, 2 slices of chopped bacon, the mayo, and some salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix until fully combined.
Assemble by spreading avocado onto the non-egg toasted bread, layering with romaine lettuce, 2 slices of bacon each, tomato slices, then topping off with your egg-in-a-nest toast.
Break the egg open right before taking your first bite to ensure that the silky egg yolk coats the sandwich for maximum deliciousness.
Now, honestly, I would eat this for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner. Your choice.
Egg-in-a-Nest Avocado BLT
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 8 slices thick-cut bread
- 4 large eggs
- 1 avocado
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 8 slices tomato
Instructions
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add bacon slices. Cook 4-5 minutes, until crispy. Remove from skillet to paper towel-lined plate. Pour 1/2 of the bacon grease into bowl to reserve.
- While bacon is cooking, using a round cookie cutter or round glass, cut a hole from the center of 4 slices of bread. Discard rounds or save them for another use.
- Toast additional, uncut bread, in toaster for desired doneness.
- Continue heating skillet over medium-high heat, with reserved bacon grease, and place 2 slices of cut bread into the pan. Crack 1 egg into each hole of bread. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cook eggs 2-3 minutes until eggs just begin to set, flip and continue cooking on other side for additional 2 minutes. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining 2 slices of bread and eggs, adding reserved bacon grease if needed.
- Meanwhile add avocado, mayo and salt and pepper to bowl and mash to combine. Crumble in 2 slices of bacon and stir to incorporate.
- Spread avocado mixture evenly over toasted bread bottoms.
- Top with 1 piece of lettuce, sliced tomato, and 1-2 pieces of bacon.
- Top with egg-in-a-nest bread. Serve immediately.
