An Egg-cellent Idea

A few weeks ago, leading up to my family’s annual get-together weekend, my aunt suggested a clever breakfast idea for Saturday brunch: Omelette in a Bag! While I admit it sounded a little odd at first, it turned out to be a fun, crowd-pleasing alternative to the usual humdrum scrambled eggs-for-a-crowd that we’ve grown accustomed to serving (which quickly end up a cold, goopy mess in a metal pan).

Omelette in a Bag is achieved in just a few simple steps:

1. Dice an assortment of omelette fillings — we used onion, red pepper, tomato, mushrooms, cooked ham and grated cheddar — and place each in a small bowl. Stick a spoon in each bowl and line the bowls up near your omelette station. You can also have seasonings on hand: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc. Whatever floats your boat.

Ladies chopping...

Ladies chopping...

2. Guests then write their names on medium-size ziploc freezer bags in pen or permanent marker and head for the omelette fillings line, where they scoop their favourite ingredients into their bag, creating their own personalized omelette.
3. At this point, you may want to designate an official egg breaker, someone who will crack two eggs into each person’s bag, as this is a little tricky to do while holding your own bag.
4. Once the eggs have been added to the bag, zip it closed, squeezing out as much air as possible, and start squishing! Mix the eggs and fillings together well.
Squishing our eggs

Squishing our eggs

5. Next, drop the bags into a large pot of boiling water (a stockpot works well), taking care not to overload the pot, as this will slow down cooking time. Boil for 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove the bags with tongs, calling out the names of the lucky eaters to come and claim their designer omelettes. Unzip the bag; the omelette will slide easily onto your plate. Enjoy!

A good time was had by all! This worked well for a crowd (we were 25 people) and would be great on a camping trip — no greasy pan to wash! Which brings me to another point: these eggs are extra-healthy. No need for butter or oil during cooking.

While I concede my family is easily amused, waiting to hear my name be called as the cooked omelettes emerged from the pot was great fun! It was like winning a fabulous door prize, only better, cause it was edible. This is one recipe that is bound to become tradition in my family. I hope yours enjoys it as much as we did — and has as much fun!

Ready for the pot

Left: Eggs, before fillings; right: Ready for the pot

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