22 Ways To Transform Humble Fried Eggs Into A Decadent Dinner

There's one simple way of transforming every bowl of leftovers you've ever eaten late on a weekday evening into a decadent dinner: By serving it with a fried egg on top. A fried egg may seem like a humble ingredient, incapable of adding such an important extra dimension to a dish, but this everyday food should not be underestimated. You can add a fried egg to almost every meal to give it a boost of color, flavor, and texture — transforming what may be a rather basic dinner into a surprisingly impressive, and tasty, meal.

Fried eggs and crispy bacon are tossed with fresh, healthy leaves, and a sweet vinaigrette to make a decadent salad.

For the Bacon and Egg Salad With Balsamic-Maple Vinaigrette recipe, click here.

Risotto is one of the many, many dishes which is improved by the addition of a crispy fried egg. This is especially true when the risotto is filled with two of eggs' best friends: Bacon and kale.

For the Bacon and Kale Risotto With Fried Egg recipe, click here.

Top fresh green asparagus spears with a runny fried egg and a generous sprinkling of dill to transform the delicate vegetable into a pretty and tasty dinner.

For the Baked Asparagus With Fried Egg and Dill recipe, click here.

This salad is a brilliant twist on a classic Caesar salad. The dandelion greens add a slightly bitter taste, which makes for a heartier, more deeply flavored salad.

For the Dandelion Greens With a Fried Egg, Croutons, and Anchovy Dressing recipe, click here.

Cook your tortilla chips and top them with green salsa, red salsa, pulled chicken, and fried eggs for a striking and tasty Mexican dinner.

For the Divorced Chilaquiles recipe, click here.

There's no doubt that the Aussies have perfected the art of crafting the tastiest burger. Top the beef patty with beets bacon, pineapple, and a fried egg, for a truly decadent dinner.

For the Drunken Aussie Beef Burger recipe, click here.

Classic French ratatouille is a simple, healthy, and well-loved dish. Although topping it with a fried egg isn't the typical way to serve it, it does make for an even more comforting, filling dinner.

For the Classic French Ratatouille recipe, click here.

A sandwich may not initially seem like a decadent dinner, but when the contents of the sandwich are a fried egg, ripe avocado, and torn mozzarella, it really is.                     

For the Fried Egg, Avocado, and Mozzarella Sandwich recipe, click here.

A vibrant salad of chopped asparagus, leafy greens, cherry tomatoes, and baby spinach can only be improved by one thing: a sunny-side-up fried egg.

For the Fried Egg Salad recipe, click here.

A healthy, nutritious rice bowl gets an extra boost of protein and healthy fat when it's served with a fried egg on top.

For the Fried Eggs With Wild Rice and Sautéed Kale recipe, click here.

This grilled pizza is wonderful whether you eat it for brunch, lunch, or dinner. The running yolk is beautiful and delicious: You'll never want to have an egg-less pizza again.

For the Grilled Breakfast Pizza With Bacon, Béchamel, Eggs, and Jalapeños recipe, click here.

Iceberg lettuce is dramatically improved when grilled, and is then made even tastier by being topped with crumbled feta, charred onions, and, obviously, a fried egg.

For the Grilled Wedge Salad With Fried Egg and Feta recipe, click here.

Super spicy, perfectly crisp Korean fried rice is even tastier when served with a fried egg on top. The egg also helps to balance out some of the chili heat.

For the Kimchi Fried Rice recipe, click here.

Super spicy, perfectly crisp Korean fried rice is even tastier when served with a fried egg on top. The egg also helps to balance out some of the chili heat.

For the Kimchi Fried Rice recipe, click here.

Burgers don't get much more decadent than this: chopped mushrooms are added to the beef patty to give them an extra boost of flavor, then the patty is topped with a fried egg, salad leaves, and truffle oil.

For the Mushroom Burgers With Fried Egg and Truffle Oil recipe, click here.

Transform a simple bowl of grits, beans, and bitter greens into an impressive dinner by adding lemon juice, crumbled goat cheese, garlic, chile oil, and a fried egg.

For the Red Pepper Rapini, White Beans, and Grits recipe, click here.

Oatmeal shouldn't just be for breakfast. Make it savory and top it with a runny fried egg, crispy bacon, and salty, finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

For the Savory Oatmeal With Soft-Cooked Egg, Turkey Bacon, and Parmigiano-Reggiano recipe, click here.

A savory, yogurt-based salad is one of the tastiest discoveries we've made recently. Greek yogurt topped with our favorite crunchy vegetables and a fried egg is perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For the Savory Yogurt, Egg, and Cucumber Salad recipe, click here.

Transform a simple dish of pan-fried pork loin and sautéed vegetables into a decadent dinner by serving it with a fried egg and soy-peanut dressing.

For the Seared Pork Loin With Vegetable Medley and Fried Egg recipe, click here.

This last-minute meal is so quick to prepare, and is made of simple pantry staples: It may sound plain and dull, but the egg works magically on the dish, with the runny yolk acting like a rich, indulgent sauce.

For the Spicy Garlic Pasta With Fried Eggs recipe, click here.

An egg sandwich brimming with bright, fresh ingredients is such a wonderful dish that it really doesn't deserve to be relegated to the 'breakfast only' category.

For the Spinach and Egg Sandwich recipe, click here.

A pan-fried steak and sunny-side-up egg come together to create a dinner that is infinitely more decadent than the sum of its parts.

For the Steak and Eggs recipe, click here.