Scrambled Eggs
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Nothing says the weekend like a plate of scrambled eggs. But if your eyes happen to be bigger than your stomach ‒ which happens to most of us from time to time ‒ you may end up with a heap of leftovers. Rather than toss them out, why not save your eggs for later? Storing cooked eggs is easy, and leftover scrambled eggs give you a good excuse to experiment with some delicious meal prep ideas.

Storing Cooked Eggs

When storing cooked eggs, the amount of time you can leave them in the refrigerator varies. On average, most cooked eggs can remain in the refrigerator for three to four days before you need to throw them out. Make sure your refrigerator temperature is set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower when storing cooked eggs.

  • Hard-cooked eggs: one week
  • Casserole with eggs: three to four days
  • Quiche: three to four days
  • Scrambled eggs: three to four days

Tips for Storing Cooked Eggs

Storing cooked eggs in the refrigerator door is not a good idea since the temperatures are not as stable there. Place the eggs in a glass container with a tight lid and store them on the shelf of your refrigerator. If you’re storing cooked eggs in large batches, divide them into several shallow containers, so they will cool quickly before placing them in the fridge.

Make sure to pack up your leftover eggs and get them in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking them. You never want to leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out at room temperature for too long. If your eggs are sitting out in temperatures above 90F, reduce that time to one hour before storing them in the refrigerator.

Reheating Scrambled Eggs

Storing cooked eggs is all for nothing unless you plan to reheat them within a few days. Whether you throw them in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito or add some cheese and make cheesy scrambled eggs, knowing the best way to reheat eggs can make your breakfast meal prep go a lot faster.

  • Take the eggs out of the refrigerator.
  • Add butter or oil to a medium-sized frying pan.
  • Heat the frying pan with the butter or oil in it over medium heat.
  • Add the scrambled eggs. Stir frequently until warm.
  • The eggs will be ready when they reach a temperature of 165F.
  • Remove the eggs from the pan and serve immediately. 

How to Meal-Prep Eggs

Mornings are busy, which means having some quick and tasty meal-prep recipes on-hand can help make getting out the door a much smoother process. There are several ways to use leftover scrambled eggs in your breakfast meal prep. Once you reheat the eggs using the stovetop method, consider these breakfast meal prep ideas:

  • Breakfast burrito. Add the eggs to a warm tortilla with salsa and avocado.
  • Waffle sandwich. Toast two frozen waffles, and sandwich the eggs between them for a waffle-egg breakfast sandwich.
  • Cheesy egg scramble. Cook up some frozen hash browns with cheese, ham and green onions. Mix them in a bowl with the leftover scrambled eggs. 
  • Turkey bacon breakfast sandwich. Toast an English muffin. Warm up two pieces of turkey bacon. Add the bacon, two slices of cheese and the scrambled eggs to make a breakfast sandwich. 

You can make one of these breakfast meal-prep recipes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for a grab-and-go snack or meal on your way to work. For example, after you make a batch of scrambled eggs, prepare the egg sandwich and wrap it in plastic wrap. Store the sandwich in a sealable bag in the refrigerator. For best results, eat within one to two days.