7 Ways To Cook Eggs in a Hostel or Campervan

Spice Up the Ultimate Backpacker Food

In the category of cheap, yummy and nutritious food, eggs hold a very important part of the backpackers’ diet. Should it be for breakfast, lunch or dinner, there is always going to be someone cooking eggs in your hostel’s or campervan’s kitchen. Although it is not the easiest food to travel with, many hostels and holiday parks around New Zealand are selling their own eggs. Plus, if you get your own box of eggs, you’ll finish your box of eggs before you even have the time to think about your next destination with these egg-cooking ideas!

We have compiled this selection of ideas to help you break the routine without breaking the bank or spending hours in the kitchen. You will be surprised by the difference it makes to a meal when simply changing the way you cook the very same ingredients. Give a shot to some of the ideas below for a delicious take on the cheapest protein source on the market. By the way, have you seen our 10 Easy Meals to Cook in a Hostel in 10 Minutes?

1. Scrambled Eggs

The classic breakfast food is also one of the easiest ways to cook eggs. Simply crack your eggs into a bowl and mix it along with milk and melted butter before throwing the mix into a hot oiled frying pan. Add spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, herbs and spices or anything you’d like to the mix while stirring constantly. When the consistency suits you, serve and enjoy! For more easy meals, see 5 Easy Pasta Recipes for Backpackers.

2. Hard-boiled (or Soft-boiled) Eggs

No need to be a chef to nail the hard-boiled egg. Place your eggs into a pot, and then fill it up of hot water until the eggs are entirely submerged. Place the pot onto the stove and boil the water.

A great trick is to remove the pot from the stove as soon as the water boils and let the eggs sit in the water for about 10 minutes. This avoids the eggs to move around in the boiling after and crack. After 10 minutes, place the eggs into a bowl of cold water to let the temperature adjust. Then the eggs are perfect for peeling off the shell.

For soft-boiled eggs, let the eggs sit for only 4 minutes instead of 10.

3. Fried Eggs Sunny Side Up

Everybody knows how to fry eggs, but here are a few tricks to make it easier. Use a non-stick frying pan and warm up some oil or melted butter. Crack your eggs over the oil and let them fry for about a minute and a half. Then tilt the frying pan and use a spoon to collect the fat and pour it over the yolk (that’s the yellow!) and the egg white. Add a pinch of salt, pepper or other herbs and spices. Let the egg cook for another couple of minutes and serve on hot toast. Yum!

4. Poached Eggs

A crowd favourite, especially over toast, poached eggs require a little bit of technique to master. Hopefully, the tips below will help you get them right every time.

Get a pot of water with a pinch of salt to simmer (that’s almost boiling but not fully boiling yet) then crack your eggs in the water and let them sit for about one minute. Keep an eye on your eggs, if they stick to the pan, gently unstuck them with a spatula. A great trick is to put your bread in the toaster at the same time that you drop your eggs – when the toast pops up ready, your eggs will be ready too! Get your eggs out with a spoon that has holes in it and place them on your toast and wait a couple of minutes before eating them.

5. Omelette Eggs

Crack as many eggs as you want into a bowl and add herbs and spices (we like salt, pepper and Italian herbs) and whisk them thoroughly. Then fry your filling into a frying pan until they are done before pouring the egg mix over it, and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Don’t forget to grate a bit of cheese over your omelette before serving. Plus, did you know you can make an omelette in the microwave? Check out 7 Easy Hostel-Friendly Microwave Recipes.

6. Egg Salad

For this one, you will need to use hard-boiled eggs. Chop a couple of hard-boiled eggs and mix them with mayonnaise and maybe a bit of mustard. Add pepper and other seasonings if desired. Then add capsicums, boiled potatoes, celery and other veggies if desired and serve over toasted bread or fresh vegetables.

7. Deviled Eggs

This one needs hard-boiled eggs as well. Slice your eggs in half in the length and remove the yolk. Place the yolk in a bowl and mix them thoroughly with mayonnaise, mustard and spices. Try adding bacon bits or ham into the mix as well. Then using a spoon, refill the empty egg whites with your mixture and sprinkle of paprika or chives. You are sure to impress during pot luck dinner with this fancy (yet super cheap) take on eggs.

More Great Recipe Ideas for Road Tripping Around New Zealand

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before calling New Zealand home. He has now spent over a decade in the New Zealand tourism industry, clocking in more than 600 activities across the country. He is passionate about sharing those experiences and advice on NZ Pocket Guide and its YouTube channel. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides.

Contact Robin via our contact page