If you’re swimming in extra eggs this spring, you’re not alone.
If you raise backyard chickens (or you found a great deal at the farmer’s market), you might be wondering what to do with lots of eggs before they go to waste. Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious recipes using lots of eggs that go far beyond your basic scramble.
From rich desserts to hearty main dishes, these ideas will help you turn your egg surplus into something tasty and satisfying.
What to Do with Lots of Eggs
Every spring, something magical happens in the chicken coop: egg production skyrockets.
Rain or shine, I walk down to the coop each morning with a bucket of feed in one hand and a jug of water in the other. Diddle, our barn cat, follows along and flops in the dirt outside the door, hoping for a quick belly rub before I open it.
On the other side of the coop door, the hens chatter and cluck in anticipation. The old rooster greets the day with his proud crow, and as I step inside, the girls swirl around my boots, waiting for their treat - a scattered handful of scratch feed.
After I fill the feeder and the waterer, I check the nest boxes. Sure enough, their favorite nest is overflowing with eggs in beautiful shades of brown.
The eggs are still warm from a hen that jumped out of the nest when she heard her breakfast coming. I tell you, there is nothing more amazing than holding a warm egg in the morning. The shell is hard and yet its matte texture is almost velvety. This is something basic and primal, and I hold it in my hand.
If you raise chickens, you know this story well: one day you're hunting for eggs, and the next you're wondering what to do with all those eggs.
Even though each hen lays just one egg a day, you can soon be swimming in eggs. Or rather, your refrigerator won't have anything else in it but eggs. Cartons of eggs. Mixing bowls full of eggs. Loose eggs that roll on the shelves and sometimes come to a bad end on the floor.
Spring brings abundance - and suddenly, you need more than just scrambled eggs and omelets to keep up.
If you're asking yourself "how can I use up eggs?" or looking for recipes using lots of eggs, you're in the right place.
What to Do with Extra Eggs
I have a baker's dozen of favorite recipes that use a lot of eggs, from fellow bloggers and homesteaders who know the joy - and the struggle - of a full egg basket.
Use them up in sweet treats, protein-packed breakfasts, and make-ahead meals. These ideas will help you get the most our of your flock's hard work.
Eat more eggs
This was probably the first thing you thought of when we started talking about what to do with eggs. Just eat more eggs, right?
Eventually though, your family might be ready for a break from fried and scrambled eggs. Or even omelets. Fortunately there are many more ways to eat eggs.
I collect egg-heavy recipes to use in spring when eggs aren't a precious commodity - when, in fact, I need to use up a surplus. Here are enough egg recipes to fill an egg carton - plus a few more.
If you still have dozens of eggs to deal with, check out these six ways to preserve eggs to use later.
Eggs for breakfast
Here are some delicious ideas to have something different for breakfast, even though it's still eggs. Maybe you'd like to make some of these dishes for "breakfast for dinner" too.
These pan-fried eggs and tomatoes from Delightful Plate is a fresh twist on the usual fried eggs for breakfast. The addition of tomatoes and onions makes the difference.
Or try these easy bacon and egg cups from Divine Lifestyle for a quick breakfast on a busy day.
An apple puff pancake made in a cast iron skillet would make a delicious weekend breakfast (or dessert), from Honest and Truly.
Eggs for lunch
For a really delicious change of pace, make this fresh tomato and egg tart from Foodall. The tomatoes are the star in this dish, paired with fresh herbs and tangy goat cheese.
Why make the usual egg drop soup when you can make this tomato and egg drop soup from Delightful Plate instead?
Hard-boiled eggs
Hard boil some eggs to slice up and eat as snacks, top a green salad, and add to potato or macaroni salads. Whether or not you sprinkle your eggs with salt is up to you. (I do.)
Fresh eggs are almost impossible to peel though. I used the oldest eggs in my refrigerator to make hard boiled eggs, and I still ended up peeling off a large percentage of the egg white.
Then I found Alton Brown's method: baking instead of boiling eggs! This method works best with the freshest eggs you can find, which is perfect for backyard chicken raisers. You'll find the instructions here.
Then use those hard boiled eggs to make egg salad sandwiches for lunch. Cooked by Julie has the directions as well as a video.
My favorite use for hard boiled eggs is deviled eggs, something I don't make nearly often enough. They're not just for potlucks, picnics and church suppers. Make them for Sunday supper and show your family you love them.
Mom's Dinner has a classic deviled eggs recipe, just the way I like them.
Eggs for Dessert
Eggs are famous as ingredients for baking, of course. They appear in cookies, cakes and more. The Chief's favorite cake is angel food cake, which is an amazing way to use eggs. Well, egg whites. Then you're left with the egg yolks, but you can use them to make egg noodles.
Way back in seventh grade my Home Ec class made ice cream from scratch. I don't remember much about it except that the recipe called for eggs (which I thought was really weird) and freezing the ice cream in an ice cube tray, which one of the teams managed to dump on the floor of the classroom.
We won't talk about who dropped the ice cube tray, ok?
This whole food version of New York style cheesecake from Raia's Recipes looks absolutely decadent. I think I'll top mine with my triple berry jam.
I've tried making bread pudding several times; it's a comfort food from the Chief's childhood that his mother used to make. Unfortunately I was never successful in my attempts.
This recipe though - these directions for custard bread pudding with vanilla sauce from Drive Me Hungry - might be his new favorite bread pudding, because it's definitely going to be my favorite.
More uses for eggs
Mayonnaise made from scratch with fresh eggs is phenomenal. You might never buy a jar at the store again. Try these simple directions for easy homemade mayonnaise from Raia's Recipes.
Or make egg noodles from all those eggs. In fact, you can make noodles and freeze them, which is an awesome way to "preserve" eggs to eat later.
You won't need a pasta machine with this recipe for egg noodles from A Farm Girl in the Making.
Sell those extra eggs
Laws vary from state to stage regarding the sale of eggs without a license. Here in Oklahoma, we are allowed to sell fresh eggs from the farm. In other words, the buyer is supposed to come to the farm to purchase the eggs.
The ease of selling eggs also varies from place to place. Where I live, on a dirt road far from the highway and with few neighbors, egg buyers are few and far between. Most people in my neighborhood have their own laying hens.
But if you have backyard chickens, you might find it much easier to sell a dozen eggs than I do. Sell them to friends, coworkers, at a roadside stand on your property, or give them to family members or, if your state laws allow it, donate them to a local food pantry.
Some states require that you use brand new egg cartons if you sell eggs, you can't reuse them. Paper pulp egg cartons are the most eco-friendly. These are from Amazon.
Don’t Let Those Eggs Go to Waste
From custards to casseroles and even homemade pasta, these recipes are the perfect answer to the question of what to do with eggs when your fridge is overflowing.
Looking for more ways to use what you grow and raise? Subscribe to Oak Hill Homestead's The Acorn and get fresh ideas straight to your inbox.
Are you interested in raising chickens in your backyard?
If you're interested in raising your own laying hens so you too can have a refrigerator packed with eggs in spring, here's how to get started by brooding chicks.
Or, if you'd prefer to start with laying-age pullets (young females), this post will tell you what your chicken coop needs.
You can also find all of my chicken-keeping posts here.
Gathered Goods
Hand-picked tools, books, and everyday helpers we love:
- Carry this vintage wire egg basket with you to the coop, to keep eggs safe on the trip back to the kitchen.
- An egg skelter will help keep those eggs under control. This one has a wire basket at the bottom, unlike most skelters.
- Keep track of your daily egg totals in this paperback chicken-themed notebook.
Preserving eggs
Check out this post to learn more about how to preserve spring eggs.
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