I love weekends. I especially love weekends when we really don’t have much to do. I don’t mind washing dishes or catching up on laundry. I just really don’t want to leave the house. I have to go get groceries at some point, but that’s a given. And Elizabeth and I have to go to Hobby Lobby later to get the supplies to make her pumpkin for the school pumpkin decorating contest. And Michael and Christopher have gone to get him measured for his tux for next week’s homecoming dance.
But we don’t have a lot to do.
It was so nice to sleep late. I can remember before we had kids, sleeping late meant sleeping until 10 or 11. Now it means 8:00. I’m preprogrammed to get up early, so even sleeping until 8 is hard. We were all up and moving by about 8:15. I decided to make omelettes for everybody since we all love omelettes. But I really didn’t want to stand over the stove for 30 minutes making them. So I made ZipLoc omelettes.
This is a great trick to use whenever you have a houseful of people for breakfast – whether it’s for a family reunion or a slumber party.
You start by putting a big pot of water on to boil and then writing each person’s name on a separate ZipLoc freezer bag.
Next you break two large eggs into a measuring cup – or any bowl or cup with a pouring edge – and then pour the eggs into a bag. Continue until you have two eggs in each bag. I don’t like to try breaking the eggs directly into the bags because it can be a little hard to handle. I also sprinkled a little salt and black pepper into each bag. Then I sealed the bags.
Next you put out all the add-ins. I know what my family likes, so I had diced red and yellow bell peppers, diced ham, mushrooms, and cheese.
When your crew comes to assemble their omelettes, instruct them to squish their bags until the eggs are scrambled. Then they can open the bags and add their favorite add-ins. After that, they seal the bag again, removing as much air as possible, and then squish everything around again so that it combines.
By this time, your water is probably boiling. Place the bags into the boiling water and set your timer for 13 minutes. Odd number, I know, but that’s how long it takes.
When the timer pings – or quacks, in my case – use tongs to remove the bags from the boiling water and place on a tray or in a big bowl. Open a bag and hold it upside down by the bottom corners over a plate. The omelette will roll right out. Seriously! It’s like magic!
ZipLoc Omelettes
- ZipLoc freezer bags
- Sharpie marker
- 2 eggs per person
- Add-ins you like
- Salt and pepper
Put a large stock pot of water on to boil. Label the bags with each person’s name with a Sharpie. Break two eggs into a pourable container and then into each bag. Repeat until all bags have been filled. Allow each person to squish his bag until the eggs have been scrambled. Each person should add the ingredients of his choice and then squish again to combine. Seal the bags, removing as much air as possible. When water comes to a boil, place bags in the water for 13 minutes. Remove the bags from the water and pour each omelette onto a plate.
Well Duh #1: Some suggested add-ins are:
- cooked bacon, sausage, or ham
- mushrooms ( I prefer canned mushrooms for this recipe)
- bell peppers
- tomatoes
- jalapenos
- onions
- cheese
- spinach
- kale
- zucchini
Well Duh #2: Don’t add more than a half-cup of cheese. It may make your omelette stick inside the bag. You can always add more after it’s on the plate.
Well Duh #3: If you aren’t a fan of vegetables that retain some of their crunch after cooking, you can always saute your vegetables and allow them to cool a bit before adding them to your bag.
Well Duh #4: I have seen a few Internet entries questioning the safety of boiling something in a ZipLoc bag. Some people have health concerns about plastic’s toxicity when heated. For every scary comment, there is one refuting it – and vice versa. This isn’t a recipe that I make all the time. It’s usually just when we have breakfast company or need to make a lot of omelettes quickly. Use your own judgement.
Well Duh #5: I have friends who make these when they go camping. They just take a big pot to boil over the campfire. I’ve even heard them called “Boy Scout Omelettes” or “Girl Scout Omelettes” because they are common on their camp outs.
Well Duh #6: I used 3 eggs to make Michael’s omelette, so I boiled his for 17 minutes to be sure it was cooked through.
Well Duh #7: You can put about 8 bags into the pot of water. If you have more than that to cook, use more than one pot.
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