Fry an Egg in a Ring of Mashed Potatoes

In some strange twist of fate, I received two orders of Popeyes mashed potatoes last night. Maybe God showered blessings on me (It works in a mysterious way) or maybe they charged me for the big one and used two small containers because they ran out of packaging. I don’t know. It does not matter. It was a gift and I didn’t waste it. This morning I used my potato bounty to make the most amazing toad in the hole iteration. Let your toast rest and fry an egg in a ring of mashed potatoes, and do it as soon as possible.

An American-style toad in a hole is an egg fried in a slice of bread. You cut a circle out of the center of the bread, toss a slice into the buttered pan, and crack an egg into the void. It’s simple, nice, and gets the job done. However, if you have mashed potatoes on hand, you have the option of substituting carbs for a very savory dish. I love carbs in all forms, but once you add mashed potatoes to toast, you realize how much flavor you’re missing out on.

Due to a lucky typo, I call this dish “toad in the hotel.” (A ring of mashed potatoes is taller and larger than a slice of bread, so it tracks.) My mashed potatoes came with sauce, but if you don’t have sauce, don’t worry about it. Melt a small piece of butter in a skillet over medium heat; you need just enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add about half a cup (or a small container of Popeyes) of mashed potatoes to the skillet. Using a spoon, squeeze the potatoes into a ring to create a hole about two inches in diameter (the pan should be visible through the hole). Let this fry for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, take the egg. Crack an egg into the hole and cover the skillet with a lid for about five minutes, or until the yolk has reached your desired doneness. Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the hotel onto a plate.

I don’t recommend trying to flip this as the potatoes are quite soft while on the fire and the whole thing can fall apart. Using the lid, lightly steam the top of the egg and heat the potatoes even more. Serve this fluffy treat with something you normally eat with eggs for breakfast, or add some green onions. (Oh, and if you’re not into frying, you can always sous vide eggs and mashed potatoes .)