Portlandia’s answer to “Toad in a Hole“
This recipe falls into the “Why didn’t I think of that!?!?” category. By conservative estimates, I’ve probably made at least 5000 grilled cheese sandwiches in my twenty-something years as a mom, and at least a quarter that many Toad’s in a Hole.* So imagine the forehead slap involved when I stumbled over this brilliant mash-up while reviewing The Portlandia Cookbook {Cook Like a Local}.
Like any real Portlandian, I had change up the original recipe and put my own spin on it. (Mostly I just simplified it.) In the process, I omitted the need for (among other things) a broiler, mayonnaise (blech) and “truffle salt.”
Bird in a {Grilled Cheese} Nest
Ingredients
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 2 ounces thinly sliced cheese Suggestions: Tillamook Medium Cheddar, Gouda, Jarlsberg
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
-
(This first part is just like making a standard grilled cheese sandwich.) Layer sliced cheese between two pieces of bread. Generously butter the outside of each piece of bread. In a medium non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, grill sandwiches on one side until golden brown.
-
Remove the half-cook sandwiches onto a plate or cutting board. Using a round biscuit-cutter or the rim of a drinking glass, cut a hole out of the middle of the sandwich.
-
Flip everything over and put it back into the pan, including the sandwich middles.
-
Crack an egg into each sandwich hole. Continue to grill until sandwiches are golden brown and eggs are done to your liking.
PROFESSIONAL TIP: Do not, under any circumstances, try to clean your kitchen, do the dishes, cycle the laundry and check your Instagram while the sandwiches are grilling.
*While in some far-off places, a Toad-in-a-Hole may involve sausages and such, here in Oregon the term most often refers to an egg fried inside a piece of toast that has had a hole cut out the middle of it.
Melinda says
January 9 atWhat a great idea! I may try this one!
Pech says
January 9 atYum, this looks like something I want to eat RIGHT NOW for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!
Brittany Sierra says
January 9 atOMG YUM! I’m making this over the weekend!
Gosh, looks so good! Thanks for the recipe!
xxb
Emily says
January 9 atGrilled cheese was our family obsession last week for food. Must be the weather, nothing better than crispy grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup!
Renée ♥ says
January 9 atGrilled cheese and tomato soup is a staple meal at our house. My youngest is celebrating her birthday this weekend. Her requested birthday dinner? Tillamook Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup. (If only all my kids were this easy.) She is topping it off with Marionberry Cobbler in place of birthday cake – a true Oregonian is ever there was one.
Marlynn [UrbanBlissLife] says
January 9 atI love making these!! Mine are always simple as well. Sadly, I am the only one in my family who likes them, so I usually just make them on weekdays when it’s just me working from home. I can’t wait to be able to have bread again so that I can make one. Yours looks SO yummy, I want to eat the screen!
Rachel says
January 9 atOMGOSH! I love this. I’ve seen so many variations of this recipe over the years. I always want to try new ones to see if they are better ha! I think this may happen over the weekend!
Kristi says
January 9 atha! That is a brilliant idea! I feel the same way: why didn’t I think of that?
Tracy says
January 9 at5000 is lot of sandwiches! 🙂 What a great idea, especially for kiddos. Thanks for sharing.
Kayla Whittington says
January 9 atum…YUM!
Nicole @ Or Whatever You Do says
January 9 atOh gosh this looks great!! You just figured out the only way to possibly make a grilled cheese better. YUM. Know what I want? Bacon cooked into that grilled cheese toad in a hole. PERFECT breakfast!
Renée ♥ says
January 9 atBacon! Brilliant!
Gail says
January 9 atOMG… Yes!
Lisa says
January 9 atLove the idea of making it into a sandwich with cheese, genius!
Louise says
January 9 atIf I wasn’t literally stuffing my face scooping hummus with warm out of the oven Jalapeño bread right now, I would most definitely be making this ingenious “toad in the hole.”
Thanks for sharing, Renée, I think:)
Bea says
January 10 atWhat a genius idea!!! Love it…Thank you for sharing. Oh, and I will have to take a look at the Portlandia Cookbook.