Eggs of some sort are always my go-to breakfast when I have a houseful, with omelets being the most requested. But when they start saying they don’t like this or they can’t have that, that omelet ends up being scrambled eggs. Period.
Last weekend when family from out of town was visiting, we tried something new–Make Your Own Omelets, in a bag, boiled in water. It’s nothing new, many people use this method when camping, but I’ve never tried it.
THAT is easier than scrambling eggs for 15 people!
The fillers are totally up to you! Sausage or bacon (pre-cooked, of course), hash browns, any sort of veggie, different types of seasonings, different cheeses, whatever your (or their) heart desires. They don’t like peppers or onion? They can leave them out! They like a little more spice than everyone else? Add a little cayenne pepper or maybe even a little bit of diced jalapeno.
We started by dicing some peppers and smoked sausage, slicing some onion, pulling out the carton of eggs and bags of cheese. Someone did slice up some butter, since an omelet is fried in butter. I didn’t use it, but I don’t think there was any difference noticed.
The cook’s job is done! Well, except for assembling and cooking your own omelet.
We found it best to use freezer quart-sized bags. The storage style was too thin. We lined large coffee mugs with the bag and started filling it up–a couple eggs, a few peppers, a couple slices of onion, a few chunks of meat, and a handful of cheese.
Now for the scrambling–close the bag and mash it all around until the eggs are mixed together well.
After writing your name on the bag, drop it into a pan of boiling water. (Not everyone wrote their name on the bag at the beginning, leaving a guessing game at the end.)
I realized that the depth of the pan and water isn’t all that important, the diameter is. The bags will mostly float. With my 6-quart dutch oven, we were able to fit 4 bags of omelet. Next time, I’ll use my larger pot that is wider (and deeper), but I won’t fill it full of water, just a few inches. Make sure to flip the tops of the bags toward the middle so they don’t sit on the edges of the hot pan.
It took about 7 minutes for the omelet to cook. How I found to test it was to gently squeeze it with tongs. Some uncooked egg oozed from the inside. I put it back into the water until it was completely cooked.
Open the bag and slide onto your plate. Be careful!! The steam is hot!
It turned out to be very light and fluffy. I was surprised since there was no milk or whipping involved.
Now everyone is happy. So whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just for finicky eaters, omelets are easy! Enjoy!
Cindy blogs at Our Life Simplified. Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog?
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mscsgraham says:
Fantastic idea!! I’m trying this the next time we’re doing eggs so I can get the process down. Thanks!
On April 10, 2012 at 6:27 am
justdeborah2002 says:
That is absolutely brilliant! It means you can make omelettes for four people at the exact same time, sitting down together, rather than either eating in stages, or eating half cold eggs.
Thank you.
On April 10, 2012 at 7:14 am
Euni Moore says:
We have been doing this for a few years, camping or just at home for the two of us. No messy skillet to clean and as mentioned everyone eats at the same time.
On April 10, 2012 at 9:58 am
carriej says:
That is an awesome idea!!! I’m gonna try it.
On April 10, 2012 at 10:28 am
lisabetholson says:
You don’t have to butter the bag, it just comes out all by itself???
Well I may have to do this, thanks Cindy P!
On April 10, 2012 at 11:19 am
Euni Moore says:
lisabetholson no butter is necessary. We add the cheese when we pour the omelet onto the plate and let it melt then rather than in th4e bag as it makes the omelet rather runny, at least IMO.
On April 10, 2012 at 11:28 am
bonita says:
kooool trying for dinner tonite
On April 10, 2012 at 5:07 pm
fargir says:
I am just wondering about the food safety factor in using plastic bags that are designed for freezing not boiling. Would the bags vent polymers, into the omelet while at boiling temperature?
If this is safe, it sounds like a great method of doing omlets
On April 10, 2012 at 7:24 pm
CindyP says:
@fargir, I have no idea if the bags would vent polymers or not. Sorry! Anyone else have an idea?
On April 11, 2012 at 8:15 am
murphala says:
The stuff I’ve just read seems to indicate Zip Loc bags should not be used to boil these omelets. HOWEVER, there are bags designed for high heat, and the one example would be the baking bags for roasts and turkeys and such. It might certainly be less cost-effective, but I’m thinking that you might be able to find them in bulk, or might even be able to find bags meant for boiling. After all, they do package food for boiling… What about vacuum sealers? Can’t you drop vacuum sealed food into boiling water? That plastic might be a viable choice. If you want to read about it, here are two links: http://camping.about.com/od/campingrecipes/a/ziplocbaggies.htm AND http://www.livestrong.com/article/176349-what-are-the-dangers-of-boiling-food-in-plastic-bags/ And there are other links that seem like they might offer a solution. This is too good of an idea to abandon…I like the idea of omelets in a bag! 🙂
On April 11, 2012 at 12:52 pm
fargir says:
I went to the Ziplock web site and they say do NOT boil the Ziplock bags in water. It is too hot. It just may be them covering their legal a** and there is no danger to cooking this way. But I do not know and am wondering about it.
On April 11, 2012 at 5:34 pm