Egg and Toast Mix-Ups

Much as I love to cook, every once in a while I have one of those days where I just plain run out of ideas of what to make. I walk into the kitchen and my mind becomes a total blank. Out of gas. Sold out. No dogs allowed. Out of business. Etc. I gaze into the open refrigerator, hoping for divine inspiration, or at least some leftover pizza. Ever have one of those days?

This recipe is tailor-made for the culinary version of brain-freeze, because you (and I) very probably have everything you need for a pretty decent and tasty meal, even if your refrigerator is suggesting that you really should start dialing for take-out. Not that there is anything wrong with take-out. Nothing at all. However, if you don't want to give up without a fight, follow along with me here. Got eggs? Got bread? Then we are in business. Because working with one piece of bread and one egg, these great open-faced sandwiches can then be dressed up with pretty much any combo of the other bits and pieces of stuff you probably have in there too. You need one kind of cheese -- any kind -- and from there on in it is dealer's choice.

On this particular day I had some ham left over from my Ethan Allen sandwiches (see earlier post, yum yum yum), a somewhat aging tomato and the end of my Vermont cheddar (ditto on the Ethan Allen post). But if you have leftover Swiss, or Jack cheese, or pretty much anything meltable, that will do too. After that, it's whatever catches your fancy or is leftover in your fridge. Chopped cooked bacon. Pieces of leftover asparagus or broccoli. Diced leftover chicken. You get my drift.

Anyway, the basic premise is this: you butter the bread and put it butter side down on a cookie sheet -- I line mine with non-stick foil. Make a little dent in the center of the bread and very gently break an egg into the dent. The white will spill over the side -- do not worry. Just make sure the yolk is sitting right there in the middle. Now scatter your cheese and whatever else you have on hand over the top. Grind a little pepper on top. Pop into a preheated 450 degree oven and bake those puppies until the yolk is set -- about 15 minutes.

And there you go. A lovely lunch or light supper that looks like you had it planned out for weeks in advance. Listen, perception is reality, that's my motto. One important note about this phenomenon: it never seems to happen with dessert. I always have plenty of ideas in that area. Amazing how that works out, isn't it?!