The Surprising Pizza Topping That Has My Family Hooked

I discovered eggs as a pizza topping while flipping through Jenny Rosenstrach's newest cookbook, "The Weekday Vegetarians." Rosenstrach, who runs a successful food blog called Dinner: A Love Story, is a big homemade pizza fan, often serving it to her family on busy weeknights topped with salad, corn, and other unusual ingredients. 

Of all the unexpected toppings she uses, eggs might be the strangest yet, at least for most North Americans. We have not yet normalized it in the way that many other people around the world have. So, of course, I knew I had to try it. 

I made my standard pizza dough recipe, then followed Rosenstrach's directions for caramelizing onions. I rolled out the dough, brushed it with garlic-flavored olive oil, and sprinkled grated cheddar cheese on top. I baked it partially, then added the caramelized onions, shaping them into little nests to hold the raw eggs. The pizza baked for several more minutes until the eggs reached the desired consistency, with the whites fully set. I sprinkled parsley on top and served it to my family, alongside a green salad.

My kids were skeptical. "Eggs on pizza?" they exclaimed in surprise. "That's weird." But as soon as we started eating, they agreed it was delicious—"even if it does taste like breakfast for dinner," as my son pointed out. He wasn't wrong; when I had a leftover slice for breakfast the next day, it hit the spot perfectly. My youngest told me that the slice of pizza in his lunchbox caused confusion at school when someone thought it was an orange. (His classmates remained confused after learning it was an egg.)

Eggs on pizza do make a lot of sense when you think about it. They're a tasty source of protein, and they’re plain enough to carry other flavors well. Consider huevos rancheros, a spicy egg-tomato-bean combo served with tortillas, or shakshuka, a one-skillet dish of eggs poached in spicy tomato-red pepper sauce and served with flatbreads for scooping.

There are many different ways to serve eggs on pizza. In France and Italy, it's common to fry an egg and drop it onto a pizza. You could fry it partially and finish it in the oven, or fry it first and add it just before serving. There’s even a pizza in Italy called the Bismarck that features a sunny-side-up egg atop marinara, mozzarella, and prosciutto. I've also eaten pizzas in Brazil with scrambled eggs and sliced hard-boiled eggs on top, so really, the sky's the limit.

Have a "crack" at it, and see what you think. You might just become a convert, as I have. Check out Allrecipes’ Eggs Benedict Breakfast Pizza or Egg Breakfast Pizza to start.