Cheesy Eggs in a Hole
These Cheesy Eggs in a Hole are made with my favorite purchased low-carb bread for a quick and easy breakfast that’s low in carbs! And this is my version of what my mother used to call Pop-Eye Eggs!
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Cheesy Eggs in a Hole are a riff on a favorite egg dish my mom used to make when I was a kid. I had the kind of mother who always sent her kids to school with a hot breakfast, even though she was cooking for twelve! Most of the time it was an easy-to-make hot cereal like oatmeal, but sometimes mom would cook things like pancakes or French toast. And when it was a very special breakfast, we’d have Eggs in a hole, known in our family as Pop-Eye Eggs.
Mom called them Pop-Eye Eggs because the yolk of the egg looked like an eye popping out. When my mom made them, she’d melt butter in a pan, cut holes in the toast, and then fry the eggs and bread in the butter.
We’d use the crust and dip it into the “eye” to eat them, maybe with a little ketchup. I still like Eggs in a Hole, but now I use my favorite low-carb bread and sprinkle them with a little cheese that melts over the egg, and eat them with my favorite low-carb salsa.
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- butter
- low-carb bread of your choice
- eggs
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Mexican Blend cheese
- Pace Picante Sauce (affiliate link) for serving, or your favorite salsa (optional)
What kind of low-carb bread did I use for Eggs in a Hole?
I used to use a super low-carb bread for this recipe until it got ridiculously expensive! Now I buy Dave’s Good Seed Thin Sliced Bread that’s available at my usual store and has about 10 net carbs per slice. Use any low-carb bread you prefer.
What other names are there for Eggs in a Hole?
Eggs fried inside a hole cut in a piece of bread are called by a large variety of names including Toad in a Hole, Eggs in a Basket, Eggs in a Blanket, Bird’s Nest Eggs, Cowboy Eggs, Bull’s Eye Eggs, Gas House Eggs, and Sunshine Toast. If your mom used to make something like this, I’d love to hear in the comments about what you called it.
How to Make Cheesy Eggs in a Hole:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Be sure not to cut the hole in the bread too big; I use a small juice glass that’s about 2 1/4 inches across.
- Heat butter over medium heat in a heavy pan (cast iron is perfect), then toast the bread on one side until it’s lightly browned, 2-3 minutes, then turn over.
- Add a tiny bit of butter inside the hole, then gently break an egg into the hole.
- Season eggs with salt and pepper if you want.
- Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of cheese over each egg and cook covered for about 3-4 minutes, depending on how soft you want the yolk to be.
- Eggs are done when the cheese is melted, white part is firm, and yolk is as done as you like it. I cook mine about 3 minutes for yolks that are still mostly soft but starting to firm on the edges.
- Serve hot, with salsa to drizzle over if desired.
More Bloggers Cook Eggs in a Hole:
- Egg-in-a-Hole from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
- Egg in a Hole Avocado Toast from Averie Cooks
- Eggs in a Basket from The Kitchn
Cheesy Eggs in a Hole
These Cheesy Eggs in a Hole are my low-carb version of a favorite breakfast my mother called Pop-Eye Eggs. And if you use low-carb bread I think Eggs in a Hole are a fun breakfast idea.
Ingredients
- 1 T butter
- 2 pieces low-carb bread
- 2 large eggs
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Mexican Blend cheese
- 2 T salsa for serving (optional but good)
Instructions
- Have all ingredients ready on counter.
- Use a small juice glass to cut a hole directly in the center of each piece of bread. (I use a glass that’s 2 1/4 inches across. You can toast the holes and dip them in the egg if you like.)
- Use a heavy frying pan large enough to hold both pieces of bread.
- Heat the pan for about 30 seconds over medium heat, brushing the pan with 1 tsp. olive oil or melted butter.
- Add the pieces of bread and cook until one side is browned and toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Turn pieces of bread over.
- Drizzle 1/2 tsp. of oil or melted butter into the center of each piece of bread and immediately break an egg into the hole, being careful not to break the egg.
- Season eggs with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, then sprinkle each piece of bread with about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese.
- Cover pan and cook until cheese is melted, egg white is firm, and yolks are as done as you’d like them, about 3-4 minutes. (I cook mine for about 3 minutes in a cast iron pan for a slightly runny yolk.)
- Serve hot, with salsa drizzled over if desired.
Notes
If you want to eat this with salsa, I recommend Pace Picante Sauce which is really low in carbs. I now use Dave's Good Seed Thin Sliced Bread for this recipe.
Recipe adapted by Kalyn with memories of Pop-Eye Eggs made by her mother.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 16.5gSaturated Fat: 7.6gUnsaturated Fat: 7.2gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 570mgCarbohydrates: 14.2gFiber: 3.3gSugar: 2.4gProtein: 12.8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
One of these Cheesy Eggs in a Hole makes a great low-carb breakfast if you use low-carb bread like I did. This is also great for a phase two breakfast for the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would use olive oil instead of butter and would prefer low-fat cheese and 100% whole wheat bread.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Breakfast Recipes for more fun ideas for breakfast. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
These Eggs in a Hole inspired by my mom’s Popeye Eggs were first posted in 2011. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
43 Comments on “Cheesy Eggs in a Hole”
I have never eaten these and am for the first time going to make them for breakfast this morning!
$2 a slice of bread is definitely breathtaking!
I buy it at my local grocery store where it’s definitely not that expensive, although more expensive than “normal” bread. Did you notice the price on Amazon is for two loaves?
I link to Amazon for people who can’t find it where they live, but that does seem expensive compared to what I pay for it.
We called them Hobo eggs growing up, but in my teens I came up with a variation that's all I use now. Instead of just frying the bread, I dip it in milk and egg like I'm making french toast, so my "hobo eggs" are actually french toast with fried egg in the middle. Yum. Then you can do syrup or sprinkle with confectioners
That's a fun idea!
Now that might be the cutest name yet!
We used to call them "Humpty-Dumpty splats."
One-Eyed Jacks is cute!
We always called those eggs "egg in the hole" but my friend calls them "one eyed jacks" which I think is way cuter!!
Gina, such a cute name!
My grandma taught me to make these when I was young. She called them One-Eyed Egyptians. =)
Barbara, you have been deprived! Seriously, I do love them for breakfast.
Can you believe I've never eaten one of these. Your version sounds like a must try.
Bulls-Eye Eggs kind of reminds me of our name for them. So glad you're enjoying the recipes!
My mom used to make these for us, minus the cheese and we called them Bulls eye eggs I believe. I love alot of your recipes here and have use many of them.
Amanda, that will be fun to see what your kids decide to call them!
We didn't really have these growing up, but friends of the family made them for special occasions. They called them Egg-a-toast. Maybe it was egg o'toast. It came out like eggatoast, so who knows. I want to make these for me and my kids. I think I'll put it up to them to decide what they're called.
Cara, the different names just keep coming!
We called them eggs in a frame – and loved them just the same! I believe it was one of the first recipes I learned how to cook!
Call us weird, but Mom never made these. I didn't have my first until my Girl Scout bestie made them after a sleep over.
I don't deny my kids; we have them every so often — but they are definately Toad In The Hole around here. I like to freak out the little ones I do child care for, too.
I had completely forgotten that in Moonstruck, but love the idea of roasted red peppers with this.
This comment from Nancy525 was on the wrong post, so I'm copying it here for her:
Here's another name for you, my Mom called this combination Toad in the Hole. I'm not sure why, but that's what I called them when I made them for my kids. Thank you for posting an old favorite! I agree with the previous post, cheese is a super idea.
Kalyn, we call them "Breakfast in Bread" – thanks for posting them, I was looking for something tasty for lunch today!
~Kris
These look great! My husband I I make them, and we call them Moonstruck Eggs because in the movie Moonstruck, Cher's mom cooks them. We do them Italian style like the movie with roasted red peppers.
Kate, thanks so much!
The names are so interesting. And I'm picturing Nancy's mom using a dog cookie cutter to cut out the inside of the bread!
this sounds like such an excellent way to start the day! I love an egg for breakfast and cheese and toast are never unwelcome additions.
Bull's Eye Eggs!! Love your recipes Kalyn – you are my favorite food blogger!
OK, I'm going to bet that no one else used the name we used. 😀 When my Mom first started making these she used a cookie cutter to take out the center. The cookie cutter was a dog. So, we called them doggies. 🙂 Even when she later would use a glass to cut a circle rather than the cookie cutter, we still called them doggies. And, no doubt, if the subject came up today we would still call them doggies. LOL.
isn't it funny what different parts of the country may call the same thing? we call them egg in the nest.
One eye jacks. One of my favorite breakfasts growing up. A couple years ago saw them on a menu at a diner in upstate New York, called one eye jacks. I ordered them. Delious.
This is one of my favorite breakfasts!
I am fascinated by the names, and also by hearing that even as far away as Poland people are making these.
I like to make these whenever we have breakfast guests just to see what they call them! I grew up calling them Picture Window Eggs, my husband grew up calling them Hole in Ones and my kids have named them Circle Toast.
We've never made them with cheese either, but it certainly couldn't hurt. 🙂
Hey there!! I am from Brazil and LOVE to visit your blog and eventually try your recipes!! My fathers best friend family is from Polland and up there they call it Egyptian Sandwich!! I `ve been eating them since I was a kid!! U could also add some turkey breast slices on top of the cheese!
I'm loving hearing all the names I haven't heard before. And it's interesting how many parents seem to have made these for their kids.
My dad was the breakfast cook in our family. He called these "spit in the ocean" — a kind of naval reference, though he was an army guy. Thanks for reminding me how much fun these eggs are!
Not very exciting, but my mother called them "hidden eggs" – she would fry up the cut-out circle and put that on top to "hide" it.
Kelly, that's definitely a new name for me.
Looks yummy! My mom made them for me and called them ox eye eggs. So neat how they so many names for the same thing!
Denise, this goes with my belief that almost everything is better with cheese!
Liz, some Hollandaise might work for SB, and I think it sounds delicious on this!
I love these, but I make a fake Hollandaise that I found in Good Housekeeping (I think) cook book instead of salsa. I don't know how that would stack up on the South Beach Diet (I'm a calorie counter, but I love your recipes!) but I'll send it to you by e-mail and you can decide whether it works for SB or not. Either way, I've never sprinkled cheese on mine before-WILL NOW!
Egg in a hole or egg in a basket – depends. Egg in a basket was a Girl Scout term, I believe – egg in a hole is what we were more likely to call it at home. And – we never had cheese on it.
Cheese is a nice touch.
I love cheese. 🙂