Toad in the Hole - Redefined! - grace grits and gardening

(this post is sponsored by Great Day Farms…)When my daughter was young, Saturday morning often meant a Toad in the Hole for breakfast. It was one of her favorites. You know the basic drill—cut a hole in a piece of (plain, white) bread with a cookie cutter, fry an egg inside the hole and voila(!) toast and egg all in one tidy, whimsical package.

Smoked Gruyere and Arugula - Toad in a Hole - Redefined!

Last weekend for a quick lunch, I elevated the Toad in a Hole to a sandwich with pumpernickel, smoked gruyere and arugula. Even with this fancied-up twist, it was still a five minute meal and perfect for a rainy fall day.

Ingredients
(1 sandwich)

2 slices pumpernickel
1-2 slices smoked Gruyere (the slices in the picture are small…)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg
arugula
sea salt
pepper

Method

With a cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of one slice of bread. (I used this vintage cookie cutter I bought at Curiosities in East Dallas. If you’re looking for vintage anything—I recommend Curiosities.)

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet on medium heat.

When butter has melted, begin browning both pieces of bread.

Crack open the egg into the slice with the hole. Let cook for a couple of minutes.

This makes me smile:)

When the bottom of the egg begins to set, carefully break the yolk then flip the bread to cook the other side. Flip the other slice of bread and top the browned side with cheese. When the cheese begins to melt, top with arugula.