What You Should Know About Reheating Eggs

What You Should Know About Reheating Eggs

Posted on: April 25th 2022

If you have a batch of hard-boiled eggs leftover from Easter or a big bowl of extra scrambled eggs from Sunday brunch, you may be wondering whether you can reheat eggs safely. The good news is you can safely enjoy your egg-based leftovers by following the proper reheating procedures.

In addition to answering all of your reheating eggs food safety questions, we’ll provide you with a variety of leftover egg recipes to help you revamp your hard-boiled and scrambled eggs. Learn handy egg reheating techniques and creative ways to put a delicious spin on leftover eggs below.

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Can You Reheat Eggs Safely?

Using caution when reheating eggs is essential because mishandling eggs can result in a foodborne illness. Fortunately, eggs can be reheated safely and enjoyed as leftovers as long as you follow the proper reheating guidelines.

To help protect yourself and your family, check out these egg handling safety tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

• Prepare eggs safely: Reheating eggs safely starts with preparing the eggs or egg-containing dish safely in the first place. Make sure your hands are always clean when handling raw eggs, and cook your eggs until both the whites and the yolk are firm. Casseroles, quiches, and other egg-containing dishes should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Serve egg dishes carefully: Hot eggs and egg-containing foods should be served immediately after cooking. Cold eggs and egg dishes should not be out of the refrigerator for more than two hours — or one hour when temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit — to avoid any bacteria growth. Consider keeping cold dishes on ice if they are going to be out of the refrigerator for an extended amount of time so they don’t reach room temperature.
• Store eggs properly: Before reheating eggs, check how old they are. In general, leftover egg dishes can be kept in the refrigerator for about four days. Hard-cooked eggs, whether in the shell or peeled, should be used within one week of cooking. Frozen eggs need to be used within one year and should not contain eggs frozen in their shells.
• Monitor the temperature: A safe reheating egg temperature is anything over 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature ensures that the eggs have been thoroughly reheated and can prevent food poisoning. Be careful not to over-cook your eggs either while reheating them. Along with posing health risks, neither under-cooked nor over-cooked eggs are very tasty.

How to Reheat Eggs

Now that you know the basics of reheating eggs and food safety, you’re ready for some specific egg-reheating strategies. Reheating eggs can be tricky because you want to reach a safe temperature without overcooking the egg, which can result in an odd texture for the reheated dish. Ultimately, the goal is to get the eggs hot enough and revive their taste while preserving their consistency.

Fortunately, you have multiple methods to choose from when it comes to reheating eggs effectively. Your reheating technique of choice will most likely depend on the style of egg or egg-based dish you are reheating and the amount of time you have — or are willing — to wait.

Here are some of the most popular ways to reheat eggs without altering their taste or texture too much:

Microwave

The microwave is perfect for reheating scrambled eggs in an instant. If you need a quick and easy breakfast to eat on the run, follow these simple steps for reheating eggs in the microwave:

1. Pour the scrambled eggs into a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
3. Microwave the bowl of scrambled eggs for about 15 seconds, then pause to get rid of any liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Continue microwaving your scrambled eggs in 15-second intervals, using a fork to fluff them up in between each one. When the eggs are hot — at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit — they will be safe and ready to eat.

Stovetop

Reheating eggs in a pan is a highly effective way to maintain the consistency of leftover eggs. Although this method requires a bit more time and effort, it is probably the best way to revive scrambled eggs. If you’re willing to put in the extra time, follow these steps:

1. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add oil or butter to the pan.
3. Once the oil is hot or the butter has melted, add the scrambled eggs. Stir the eggs frequently and get rid of any liquid that may leak from them.
4. After the eggs reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, transfer them to a plate and serve immediately.

Soft-Cooked

Achieving the perfect soft-cooked egg calls for immense precision and attention. Because it takes a bit of culinary skill to get a soft-cooked egg right the first time around, reheating one without overcooking its runny yolk takes some care. You can successfully reheat your soft-cooked eggs by following these steps:

1. Bring about half an inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Use tongs to put the eggs in the boiling water gently.
3. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook for a little over three minutes.
4. Use the tongs again to remove the eggs.
5. Serve while the eggs are still warm and the yolk is runny.

Hard-Boiled

You have to be especially careful when reheating hard-boiled eggs because they can burst in the microwave. Because a hard-boiled egg still has moisture inside of it, microwaving one allows steam to build up in the yolk and create pressure. If you’d rather spend your morning enjoying a delightful breakfast than cleaning your microwave, use the following approach to reheating hard-boiled eggs instead:

1. Put your hard-boiled eggs in a heat-proof bowl.
2. Pour boiling water into the bowl until the eggs are completely submerged.
3. Tightly cover the bowl to seal in the heat.
4. Wait about 10 minutes for the eggs to absorb the water’s heat.
5. Remove the eggs from the bowl, crack them, peel them, and enjoy a mess-free morning!

Recipes Where You Can Reuse Eggs Safely

It doesn’t take much to transform old eggs into an entirely new meal. In fact, you can repurpose your leftover eggs into a variety of culinary wonders. Whether you have an abundance of post-Easter eggs or just happen to have a large batch of egg-based leftovers, here are 15 innovative recipes for repurposing eggs:

1. Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a classic way to breathe new life into hard-boiled eggs. With their irresistibly creamy egg yolk filling and their petite, poppable size, deviled eggs make the perfect party snack or midday snack. Best of all, the recipe for making deviled eggs is so easy and straightforward that you won’t mind whipping up a batch of the delicious finger food for any occasion.

If you’re a fan of the traditional, this basic deviled eggs recipe will be your new best friend. For deviled egg daredevils, something more creative like pimento cheese deviled eggs or maple bacon deviled eggs might be more your style.

2. Egg Salad

Egg salad is another iconic leftover egg dish. One bite of this nostalgic comfort food, and you’ll be instantly transported back to the long summer days of your childhood. Along with being wonderfully reminiscent, egg salad is a simple dish that does not require much time or many ingredients to pull together.

This grandma’s classic egg salad recipe, in particular, does an excellent job of recreating the joyful memories of snacking on egg salad as a kid. Even if egg salad wasn’t a staple of your upbringing, this egg salad is so delightful that you’ll want to make it a new family tradition. If you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous, you might want to try egg salad with capers, red onion, lemon, and dill or herbed egg salad.

3. Cobb Salad

Want a nutritious salad filled with leafy greens and packed with protein? Look no further than the classic cobb salad. 

With chopped hard-boiled eggs, bite-sized bits of salty bacon, chunks of creamy avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, and shredded cheese on a pile of romaine lettuce, a cobb salad is one of the tastiest ways to get your greens.

A traditional cobb salad is especially easy to make if you already have hard-boiled eggs on hand. This recipe also includes a refreshing dressing of red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt to create the ultimate cobb salad.

4. Egg Breakfast Casserole

Who says hard-boiled eggs can’t make a great breakfast casserole? This egg breakfast casserole recipe shows off the versatility of hard-boiled eggs by using them as the main ingredient of a delicious, filling, and flavorful casserole. As a bonus, you get to make use of any leftover Easter ham you may have.

Essentially, this breakfast casserole is a deconstructed egg sandwich. It starts with a sturdy base of buttered bread slices, then piles on layers of savory ham and hard-boiled eggs before getting topped with a mouthwatering cheesy mustard sauce. All of these tasty ingredients get baked to a golden brown in the oven, resulting in a warm and comforting way to start your day.

5. Eggs Benedict

For another delicious morning meal, try making eggs Benedict. Who doesn’t love waking up to a savory, creamy hollandaise sauce drizzled over thick-cut Canadian bacon, eggs, and a perfectly toasted English muffin? It’s these tasty flavors that have made eggs Benedict a brunch menu mainstay.

Although eggs Benedict is delicious, poaching eggs can be a pain. This eggs Benedict recipe effortlessly solves that problem by using hard-boiled eggs as its star ingredient. If you already have leftover hard-boiled eggs, this eggs Benedict can be prepared in a snap so you can enjoy a Michelin star-worthy breakfast with half the work.

6. Scrambled Egg Quesadillas

You can think of scrambled egg quesadillas as cheese-stuffed and grilled breakfast burritos. Filled with all the yummy ingredients of a standard breakfast burrito, scrambled egg quesadillas offer classic Tex-Mex tastes with extra melty cheese. Once you’ve had a scrambled egg quesadilla, you might never go back to regular burritos.

If you’ve got leftover scrambled eggs, you can put them to good use by whipping up a batch of scrambled egg quesadillas. 

All you have to do is reheat your scrambled eggs, prepare whatever other quesadilla fillings you want, place them in the tortilla, fold it, and let it cook in a skillet. This scrambled egg quesadillas recipe fills tortillas with spinach, black beans, eggs, and sharp cheddar cheese to create a flavor fiesta.

7. Breakfast Tacos

Quesadillas aren’t the only Tex-Mex food capable of jazzing up leftover eggs. You can also use your extra scrambled eggs to make some flavor-packed breakfast tacos. Breakfast tacos are perfect because they’re similar to breakfast burritos but more petite, so you can have a smaller or larger breakfast depending on how hungry you are when you wake up.

You can make a classic version of breakfast tacos with this bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast taco recipe. Or you can get a bit more creative with this pancake breakfast taco recipe that uses pancakes as its taco shells. You don’t even have to limit breakfast tacos to breakfast — this sweet potato, sage, and egg taco recipe is perfect any time of the day!

8. Crostini With Crushed Eggs

You can turn leftover hard-boiled eggs into an entirely new culinary creation by chopping them up and blending them with condiments like mustard and sour cream to make a spreadable, savory topping. Smearing this crushed egg spread on a slice or two of crostini creates the perfect balance of soft, creamy eggs and crunchy crostini.

Spruce up your crostini with crushed eggs by adding other fun ingredients, seasonings, and toppings. Try mixing in different spices and fresh herbs with your crushed eggs mixture and top it off with fresh veggies like spinach, tomatoes, black olives, or artichokes. Or, if you really want to go all out, try this luxurious crostini with crushed eggs and salted anchovies recipe.

9. Tangy Potato and Egg Salad

Love both potato salad and egg salad? You can get the best of both worlds by making this tangy potato and egg salad recipe, which combines the two classic dishes to create something totally new. By mixing the smooth taste of egg salad with the crunchy texture of potato salad, this mash-up potluck salad produces a taste and texture duo that can’t be beat.

Start this tasty potato and egg salad by mixing together quartered potatoes and diced hard-boiled eggs with a zesty dressing. The dressing combines sour pickles, white wine vinegar, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper for a flavorful pairing. Sprinkling in a bit of fresh dill completes this dish by rounding out its acidic flavors.

10. Beet-Pickled Eggs

Give your leftover hard-boiled eggs a bit of extra flavor when you reheat them by pickling them with red beets.

To make traditional beet-pickled eggs, all you have to do is prepare a mixture of red beet juice, apple cider vinegar, white and brown sugar, onions, salt, and pepper. Once combined, allow the hard-boiled eggs to soak for at least a day. The sweetness of the red beets mingles brilliantly with the acidity of the apple cider vinegar to give the eggs an exquisite flavor.

Want to wow your party guests with an innovative egg hors d’oeuvre? Fuse beet-pickled eggs with deviled eggs and toss in some seasonings to produce horseradish beet deviled eggs. This aesthetic appetizer uses beet-pickled egg halves as its base to give the dish a beautiful red coloring. The recipe tops the eggs with a fluffy whipped egg yolk and horseradish filling to elevate its flavor profile.

11. Egg Flatbreads

While eggs on toast is delicious, egg flatbreads will take your morning meal to the next level. Using a flatbread as the foundation for your eggs and other tasty toppings, egg flatbreads give you a grown-up, slightly more sophisticated version of toast and eggs. You even get to customize your egg flatbread by using whatever style of eggs, cheese, and other ingredients you’d like. If you’ve already got hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, this eggs and feta flatbread with herbs recipe may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Love the idea of an egg flatbread? Take the concept a step further by trying an egg-topped pizza. This Portuguese pizza recipe loads up its delicious, flaky crust with cheese, ham, hard-boiled eggs, black olives, and onions. Using Kalamata olives will give your pizza an extra burst of salt to complement its other rich flavors.

12. Nicoise-Style Chopped Salad

Put a fun spin on a classic Nicoise salad by making this Nicoise-style chopped salad, which includes some bonus veggies like fresh green beans to give the dish a nutritional boost. Preparing this yummy salad is as easy as tossing together some diced hard-boiled eggs, sliced cherry tomatoes, black olives, canned tuna, green beans, and romaine hearts. Then, douse the mixture with a light vinaigrette.

Looking for more nourishing salad recipes that will use up your leftover eggs? Try this healthy summer salad recipe, which uses a variety of nutrient-rich ingredients, such as spinach, arugula, rainbow chard, and hard-boiled eggs, to make a fresh and filling masterpiece. This bright summer salad is also packed with enough protein and other filling foods to serve as an entree.

13. Ultimate Egg Sandwich

Egg sandwiches aren’t just for breakfast anymore. With this ultimate egg sandwich recipe, you can enjoy an egg sandwich as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a midnight snack. This garden-fresh recipe tops multi-grain bread with delectable ingredients like summer squash, zucchini, bell peppers, eggs, and ricotta cheese. The result is a sandwich that’s both delicious and good for you.

Have some leftover Easter ham, too? Use your holiday ham up along with your hard-boiled eggs by making these ham salad sandwiches. A simple mixture of cooked ham, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and sweet pickle relish makes this sandwich recipe savory and salty with just a hint of sweetness.

14. Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw

Need a quick side dish or sandwich topper? This Tuscan kale Caesar slaw recipe is here to save the day. Enhance nearly any dish by adding a scoop of this savory, zesty slaw.

Ribbons of wavy kale leaves form the frame of this recipe and are complemented by a satisfying, creamy Caesar dressing made from lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, and anchovies. Finely strained pieces of hard-boiled egg complete this kale slaw by giving it a bit of richness and texture.

15. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Although chocolate chip cookies made with hard-boiled eggs might sound like a kitchen catastrophe, it is actually one of the best-kept baking secrets of all time. Use up your extra hard-boiled eggs by mincing them finely and substituting them for raw eggs in your chocolate chip cookie dough. 

By following this recipe, you’ll end up with smooth, ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies the whole family will love.

These surprisingly scrumptious cookies work by melting the hard-boiled egg yolk as the dough bakes to ensure there are no lumps in the finished product. To avoid ending up with dry chocolate chip cookies, be careful not to over-bake your dough.

Use Sauder Eggs for Your Egg Dishes

Now that you’re ready to reheat your leftover eggs safely to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and transform them into stunning recipes, all you need is extra eggs. Because a delicious repurposed egg recipe starts with top-quality eggs, make sure to be selective about what type of eggs you use. You can be confident you’re getting reliable, farm-fresh eggs when you purchase Sauder Eggs.

Find your nearest Sauder Egg retailer to get fresh eggs you can feel good about today.