12 Dishes You Didn't Know You Should Top With A Fried Egg

Whether you're getting home late from work or haven't had time to go grocery shopping (again), all you need to make a homemade meal in just a few minutes are some eggs in the refrigerator. Adding a fried egg (or two!) to pantry staples or leftovers is a cheap and easy way to turn a side dish into a full meal.

You may want to add some potatoes or starch to make it a full meal, but rich eggs and bright asparagus are a perfect pair.

All burgers deserve to be topped with an egg; go crazy make it a lamb burger, or mix minced mushrooms into the beef patties for a lightened up version of this summertime staple.

The open-faced, fried egg-topped counterpart to the croque monsieur, the croque madame is clearly the better croque.

Instead of poached eggs, which are time consuming and take some skill to perfect, top this brunch staple with a fried egg and some hollandaise and get to eating.

Mix bitter greens like kale or dandelion greens with rich, gooey egg yolk for complementing flavors that make for a healthy lunch.

Toss pasta with olive oil, red pepper flakes, and some Parmigiano-Reggiano before topping with a fried egg for a simple dinner. The yolk will drip into the pasta, making a velvety rich sauce that's similar to carbonara.

Pizza is for breakfast (or any meal) when you top it with bacon, eggs, jalapeños, and some béchamel sauce.

Turn a packet of ramen into a full meal with kimchi — flavorful (and healthy) Korean fermented cabbage — and a fried egg.

Risotto seems like a complicated dish, but it's actually quite simple; top with an egg, add some greens, and you've got a complete meat-free meal. Use this same method with other rice dishes, like fried rice.

Pair rich fried eggs and bacon with bitter salad greens like frisée for a breakfast salad that's a little bit healthy and a whole lot delicious.

Treat savory oatmeal like you would a bowl of breakfast grits and pair it with a fried egg and some turkey bacon, then top it all off with some Parmigiano-Reggiano.

It's the breakfast you think about ordering every time you're at the diner. When you make steak and eggs at home, you control the quality of meat and the style of home fries you want to pair with it.