Grain-free Egg in a Hole Breakfast Bagels

The classic breakfast bagel has been glorified… into grain-free egg in a hole breakfast bagels! Whether you like your eggs soft and easy, or maybe you like your eggs hard and done… this breakfast bagel sandwich can easily be customized to meet your egg preferences. This sandwich is bursting with flavor, is super easy to make in a cast iron skillet, and it is loaded with nutritious ingredients that all lend their tastes and textures to a unique and delicious breakfast sandwich experience. Perfect for a single serving breakfast option or easy to make for feeding your hungry homestead crew, egg in a hole breakfast bagels are sure to be a pleaser for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

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Modern Pioneer Recipe

Grain-free egg in a hole breakfast bagels are a modern pioneer recipe! But they certainly border on being a pioneer breakfast as well. I don’t know when bagels started becoming more of a popular breakfast food, but they certainly would have been easy for even early pioneers to make on the homestead. Combined with other wholesome and homestead-based ingredients… these egg in a hole breakfast bagels are certainly a modern pioneer recipe with heritage roots!

In fact, it is pretty easy to source all the nutritious ingredients in these breakfast bagels right from your homestead. They are simple foods that lend protein and nutrition to every bite. Here’s a quick guide to how you can source all the ingredients for these breakfast bagels right from the homestead.

Homestead Ingredient Guide:

• bagels– Make your own grain-free bagels from scratch! It’s really quite simple and I have a new recipe for homemade bagels that I will share with you soon!
• leafy greens– Leafy greens can easily be grown in the homestead garden. But if it’s not the season for gardening, growing microgreens indoors or sprouting sprouts are easy alternatives that still taste amazing in a breakfast sandwich!
• eggs– Of course, farm fresh eggs can be sourced right from your homestead flock.
• bacon– If you are lucky enough to raise your own pigs, getting home-raised bacon is certainly an option for you. For those of us who haven’t added pigs to our homestead just yet, look for locally-raised, non-GMO, organic sources of bacon near you.
• sandwich meat– The sandwich meat you use in your breakfast sandwich is totally customizable to what you have on hand in your homestead kitchen. Leftover roast chicken, pulled pork, venison breakfast patties…. they all go great in a breakfast sandwich!
• butter– If you raise a dairy animal, try making your own butter from scratch. Otherwise, look for organic, grass-fed butter to use instead.

This breakfast recipe also requires no baking as it is made completely in a cast iron skillet! Another great modern pioneer life skill to master… so break out your cast iron to whip up some delicious breakfast bagels!

These breakfast bagels can easily be made allergy-friendly as well. A lot depends on what bagels you choose to use, but these egg in a hole breakfast sandwiches can be made….

• gluten-free
• grain-free
• dairy-free
• nut free
• sugar free
• corn free
• soy free

If you like having eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then make sure you check out this amazing dairy-free frittata recipe or this maple bacon frittata recipe!

Modern Pioneer Bagel Ideas

I love bagels. They make a great breakfast option when I need something quick and warm. But they are also handy for making sandwiches or pizza. They freeze great and are easy to pull out the night before so that they unthaw and are ready for use in the morning. I always try to keep a stash of bagels stored in my freezer, whether it be some of my favorite grain-free or gluten-free bagel brands or a batch of homemade bagels.

When it comes to choosing bagels for making egg in a hole breakfast bagels, there are several options. For modern pioneers who simply need their bagel to be gluten-free, let me introduce you to some of my favorite gluten-free bagel brands:

• Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bagels
• Sami’s Bakery bagels
• Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bagels
• O’Dough gluten-free bagel thins

For modern pioneers who need a bagel that is gluten-free and grain-free, there are still some delicious options to choose from! In fact, I find that the grain-free bagels work better for egg in a hole breakfast sandwiches than gluten-free bagels. Here are my options for grain-free bagels:

• Against the Grain Gourmet bagels
• Legit bagel mix grain-free bagels
• homemade grain-free bagels (recipe coming soon!)

My favorite bagel to use for egg in a hole breakfast sandwiches is Against the Grain Gourmet everything bagels. The holes in the bagels are naturally big enough to easily fit an egg in the middle. Plus, they are perfectly light and crunchy for making a delicious breakfast sandwich that isn’t too filling but certainly satisfactory for fueling a morning on the homestead.

Egg in a Hole Recipe Tips

How do I get the egg to fit in the bagel hole?

One problem that you might have is being able to fit your egg in the hole of the bagel you are using. A lot depends on what type of bagel you choose to use for your breakfast sandwich.

Many of the gluten-free bagels have holes too small to fit an egg in the middle. For bagels with small holes, you may need to cut around the hole to make it big enough to fit your egg. Save the extra hole trimmings, butter them up, and toast them right alongside your breakfast bagel for little egg dippers or a crispy, buttery addition with your breakfast sandwich!

If you are making homemade bagels from scratch, shape the bagels so that they have a large hole that will be easy to crack an egg into. Keep in mind that the hole will shrink some when you boil and bake the bagel.

Will the bagel burn before the egg cooks?

Since you are cooking everything right in the cast iron skillet, you might be concerned that while you wait for the egg to cook, the bagel will get scorched underneath. The key here is covering your skillet and using low heat. A low heat setting will prevent the bagel from scorching, although it will get toasty brown. Covering the skillet traps some of the hot steam which helps the egg cook faster.

What if I want my egg hard instead soft?

I’m a soft, over-easy egg type of person. However, my dad likes his eggs hard, browned, and well done. If you are in the boat of a well done egg, then these soft egg in a hole breakfast bagel sandwiches may not sound too appetizing to you. But wait… there’s still a way to enjoy an egg in a hole breakfast sandwich with a hard egg!

First, break the yolk of the egg. Breaking the yolk makes the egg cook hard since it flattens the egg more and lets the heat cook through the egg faster. You can also flip your egg in a hole bagel instead of letting steam do the cooking. After you crack the egg into the bagel hole, wait until some of the whites have firmed up, then flip the egg with the bagel over to cook the top of the egg. Once the egg is firm, flip the bagel right side up to make your breakfast sandwich.

What are some other sandwich fillings that taste good with an egg in a hole bagel?

The breakfast sandwich outlined in the recipe below is for my version of a BLT egg in a hole breakfast… bacon, lettuce (or microgreens), and turkey (not a huge tomato fan here). Crispy bacon paired with mild turkey meat and some leafy greens make the perfect sandwich fillings to pair with the pan-toasted bagel and egg.

But…. there are endless options for how you can fill your breakfast sandwich! Do a double-decker egg sandwich and put an egg in the bottom half of the bagel as well as the top half. Or use breakfast sausage and cheese for a meat lover’s breakfast sandwich. Want to stick to fruits and veggies? Avocado and tomato make great additions to the leafy greens in your sandwich.

Want more sandwich ideas? Make sure you check out this Modern Pioneer Sandwich Guide to find your new favorite sandwich!

Can I make up the egg in a hole bagel ahead of time and keep it in the fridge or freezer?

Yes and no. I actually don’t mind cold eggs, even if they are over easy of soft cooked. Making up my egg in a hole breakfast sandwich ahead of time and enjoying straight from the fridge in the morning is no problem for me. For those of you who like warm eggs, you can also toast your breakfast sandwich in the toaster oven to re-heat the eggs, meat, and bagel. However, I do advise waiting to add any leafy greens until after you reheat the sandwich.

If you don’t mind eating cold eggs or reheating your sandwich, then yes, these breakfast sandwiches can be made up ahead of time and even frozen to enjoy later! Just skip the leafy greens until your are ready to enjoy your sandwich. Leafy greens don’t freeze and reheat very well.

Need more healthy ways to use up all your fresh eggs? Browse this list of 50 healthy ways to eat eggs and find a new recipe to try!

These grain-free egg in a hole breakfast bagels are bursting with flavor and super fun to make! A perfectly toasted bagel stuffed with a soft-cooked egg and loaded with bacon, leafy greens, and little extra sandwich meat makes for a filling and protein-filled way to start the homestead day!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Against the Grain Gourmet everything bagel
• Legit grain-free bagel mix
• Supplies: 10″ cast iron skillet, stainless steel spatula, aluminum foil

These grain-free egg in a hole breakfast bagels are loaded with crispy bacon, soft cooked eggs, mild sandwich meat, and nutritious leafy greens! They provide protein, nutrition, and flavor with every bite! I love making these breakfast sandwiches as a fuel-packed way to start the day or enjoying them as a delicious lunch. They can even make a filling and satisfying dinner when served with a side of homemade hash browns or roasted homegrown veggies! Made in the cast iron skillet. Packed with simple ingredients. Quick, easy, and no-bake. These egg in a hole bagels are the perfect modern pioneer breakfast! They certainly are a must-make meal on the homestead menu!

I love sharing homestead recipes every week that are guaranteed to be delicious! Don’t miss out on any of them by becoming a part of our modern pioneer newsletter community!

by Alexa