A Dollop Of This '70s Jarred Staple Takes Fried Eggs From Dull To Decadent (It's Great On Breakfast Sandwiches, Too)

Eggs might just be the most versatile ingredient on earth. Their creamy, rich flavor and malleable texture can be taken in any direction, whether we're talking about cooking methods or seasonings. While salt and pepper are enough to bring out their underlying richness, pepper jelly is the '70s jarred staple that will take eggs from dull to decadent.

Made by cooking peppers with sugar, vinegar, and pectin, pepper jelly is a sweet and spicy condiment that is a longstanding tradition in the South. Peppers (like jalapenos and bell) are popular crops for farms and home gardens in Texas, and pepper jelly is often said to have originated in Lake Jackson, Texas during the 1970s as a way to conserve a surplus of them. Pepper jelly quickly gained popularity in other Southern states, becoming a small-batch specialty that was enjoy at family gatherings or sold at county stores and gas stations. Great on anything, the sweet heat of pepper jelly really makes fried eggs sing by bringing a pop of color, depth of flavor, and extra texture to their buttery decadence. 

You can spread pepper jelly over a piece of toast before topping them with fried eggs. The heat from the eggs will transform the pepper jelly's consistency into more of a liquid glaze. You can also melt the pepper jelly in the microwave and then drizzle over fried eggs. It'll also make the perfect spreadable condiment for a breakfast sandwich with fried eggs, cheese, and any other protein you have in mind.

A popular way to eat pepper jelly in the South is to served it over crackers with cream cheese. Thus, the jelly can be slathered over a cream cheese bagel, and topped with a fried egg. The sweet heat of the pepper jelly will complement the tangy, dairy-rich cream cheese. An everything bagel would bring aromatically savory and nutty nuances to round out flavors. You can even put a Southern twist on New York's iconic bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich by using pepper jelly as a condiment.

Fried eggs aren't the only egg preparation that will benefit from pepper jelly. You can top deviled eggs with a dollop of jelly to serve as a brunch appetizer, for example. Cream cheese is also a well-known upgrade for scrambled eggs. So you could stir some pepper jelly into softened cream cheese before adding them to the eggs in your skillet for an especially rich flavor and velvety texture with some sweet heat on the back end. Otherwise, melt pepper jelly into a liquid drizzle for your next poached egg-topped avocado toast. 

Since peppers are a crop that's native to Mexico, you can also incorporate the jelly into hearty Mexican breakfasts. To make molletes, spread pepper jelly over bolillos (Mexican-style mini baguettes) along with refried beans with shredded queso, onions, cilantro, and crema — perhaps, even a fried egg. You can also use pepper jelly as a condiment for breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs, potatoes, chorizo, and black beans.