Your Oven Is The Key To Cooking Sunny Side Up Eggs En Masse

Do you need to make a whole bunch of sunny-side up eggs all at once? Whether you've got a little league team to feed, a super large family, or a big bunch of brunching friends, there's a clever method you'll want to keep in mind! Put that frying pan away and step away from the stove. All you need is a standard 11-inch by 17-inch (or 9-inch by 13-inch) sheet pan and your trusty oven to make a dozen eggs all at the same time.

If you've never made eggs in the oven before then you might be amazed that it is even possible. But it's true — the oven is a great way to cook all kinds of eggs, not just quiches and frittatas. Even celebrity chefs like Jaime Oliver recommend it for getting a whole lot of eggs served up quickly. Not only will everyone be able to eat at the same time, but you'll save yourself the mess of splattered oil or butter from frying all of those eggs.

The key to cooking eggs in the oven is to turn the heat way up — all the way to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The high heat will cook the eggs evenly and quickly. But although this method is more hands-off, you'll still want to keep an eye on them. So be careful not to stray from the kitchen. The whole sheet pan of eggs will be done in just five to six minutes, which is a whole lot faster than if you were making a few at a time in a frying pan.

It's a good idea to preheat the sheet pan, as this will help the eggs cook uniformly, thus keeping those yolks nice and creamy while thoroughly cooking the whites. Just be sure to grease the pan with cooking spray or butter so that the eggs don't stick. And, if you'd rather, you can salt and pepper the pan before cracking the eggs instead of seasoning the tops. This will give your yolks a nice bright yellow presentation without any distraction from the pepper (you can still give the top a light sprinkling of salt).

Instead of using a sheet pan, you can also cook amazing sunny-side up eggs in a non-stick muffin tin. There is an added bonus to this as well — the eggs will come out perfectly round. Not only will they look good, but they'll be the ideal shape for breakfast sandwiches as well. Of course, you'll definitely want to use non-stick tins in this case, and add a little butter or oil to grease the bottom as well as the sides so that they slip out easily. Muffin tins also work great for poaching eggs in the oven. Or use ramekins to make individual baked eggs with bacon and spinach or whatever other ingredients strike your fancy.

The oven is a great way to make a whole bunch of other styles of eggs as well, not just eggs with runny yolks. What about hard-boiled eggs without all of that boiling? That's possible too! Consider making hard-cooked eggs in the oven instead by using a simple wet towel technique. You can even make fluffy scrambled eggs in the oven by using a baking pan and a well-timed stir here and there. And, of course, the oven is also ideal for making an egg-in-a-hole breakfast as well as baked Scotch eggs. Who knew there were so many ways to use the oven for the perfect eggs?