Frico Egg Breakfast Tacos — Comfort Food for Mornings When You Need to Feel Something Good

First week on the brewing floor and I already love it. Marcus is a great teacher — patient, methodical, doesn't make you feel stupid for asking dumb questions, which is good because I have approximately nine thousand dumb questions.\n\nMonday was orientation, which meant four hours of food safety training and two hours of learning where everything is. The brewing floor is massive — these giant stainless steel tanks that go up to the ceiling, pipes everywhere, the smell of grain and hops so thick you can taste it. It's like standing inside a beer. Which, if you think about it, is basically my dream.\n\nBy Wednesday, Marcus had me monitoring mash temperatures. You heat the grain and water to specific temperatures to convert the starches to sugars — the science is actually fascinating if you're into that, and apparently I am. I never thought I'd be the guy who gets excited about enzyme activation, but here I am, tracking temperatures on a clipboard like a mad scientist who smells like barley.\n\nThe hardest part is the physical stuff. I thought the warehouse was tough, but brewing is a different kind of physical. You're standing for ten hours, climbing ladders, hauling grain bags, and the temperature near the boil kettle is brutal. My legs are sore, my back is sore, and I smell like hops when I get home. The hops smell never really comes out. My Jeep smells like hops. My apartment smells like hops. I'm becoming a human hop.\n\nSunday at Babcia's was good. She made potato pancakes — placki ziemniaczane — which are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle and absolutely perfect with sour cream and applesauce. I told her about my new position and she said, "You make beer? Your grandfather would be proud." Apparently Dziadek Stefan, who died before I was born, loved his beer. Good to know it's genetic.\n\nAlso: I visited Danny's grave on the way home from Babcia's. I try to go at least once a month. It's been three years and it still doesn't feel real sometimes. I sat there for a while and told him about the brewery. He would have thought it was cool. He would have wanted to come see the tanks and probably try to sneak a beer. He was that kind of kid — always pushing the boundaries just enough to be fun but not enough to be reckless. I miss him. I always miss him. But it's getting easier to miss him without it ruining my whole day, which I think is what growth looks like. I don't know. I'm nineteen. What do I know about growth.

Coming home from Babcia’s — and from the cemetery — I didn’t want anything complicated. I just wanted to stand at the stove and make something warm and a little bit messy, the kind of food Danny would have grabbed right out of the pan without waiting for a plate. These frico egg breakfast tacos hit that exact spot: crispy cheese melted right around the egg, stuffed with whatever’s left in the fridge, no fuss. It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t ask anything of you except to show up and eat, which is sometimes all you’ve got in you. Here’s how to make them.

Frico Egg Breakfast Tacos

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mixture of white cheddar and parmesan)
• 4 eggs
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups leftover meat, veggies, or beans, to fill, warmed
• Avocado, salsa, and cilantro, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the foil mold. Take a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and fold over. Shape into a U to use as a mold for the shells.
2. Start the cheese base. In a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cheese in a circle. Be sure to sprinkle in a thin, even layer, as piling the cheese up too much will prevent it from crisping properly.
3. Add the egg. When the cheese melts and just begins to turn light golden around the edges, crack an egg over top. Try to keep the yolk intact and at the center of the circle. Sprinkle with a tablespoon more of cheese, and a bit of chopped jalapeno, if desired.
4. Cover and cook. Cover with a lid and cook until the whites have set, about 2-3 minutes, or to your desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Shape the shell. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the frico egg to the U-shaped foil. Slide the egg inside of the foil to mold. After a few minutes, remove the egg from the mold and plate. Repeat until all of the egg shells have been created.
6. Fill and serve. Fill the shells with leftovers or filling of choice, and top with diced avocado, remaining jalapeno, salsa, and cilantro. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition information not available for this recipe.