Bought Too Many Eggs? 7 Ways to Make Sure They Don’t Go to Waste

Yep, you can freeze raw eggs to use later. According to the experts over at the Prairie Homestead, the key is to make sure you’re not keeping them in their shells before sticking them in the freezer. They expand as they freeze, so you don't want them cracking and getting all over your other frozen goodies.  If you want to save the whole egg, carefully stir the yolk and whites together — you want to avoid adding extra air bubbles to them. You can also add a dash of salt to help stabilize the yolk. Add a few whole eggs to a Tupperware and leave them in the fridge to thaw for a day before heating up on the stove. Another great method is to use an ice tray, especially if you want to separate the whites from the yolks. This is perfect for when you just need one or two eggs for a recipe rather than as their own meal.

Who doesn’t love a delicious pasta dish? This traditional Italian recipe calls for four large eggs in the sauce, so it’s also ideal when you've got too many in the fridge. Ree Drummond’s recipe calls for mixing the eggs with half a cup of Parmesan with a little bit of salt and pepper. Once the spaghetti noodles and pancetta (or bacon, if you prefer) are ready, pour the egg and cheese with some of the pasta water over the noodles and stir quickly so the eggs don’t get a chance to scramble. You won’t be overwhelmed by any eggy flavor, just a delightfully rich sauce.

This zingy dessert favorite also requires four large eggs with the yolks separated from the whites. Julie Smolyansky, president and CEO of nutritious-foods company Lifeway and author of The Kefir Cookbook ($18.14, Amazon), shared her recipe for a no-bake lemon pie, which uses lemon curd as the filling.  Apparently, Smolyansky craved tons of yummy lemon curd while pregnant with her daughter! You can check out her full recipe for making lemony goodness in a Mason jar, or use her method to enjoy the lovely lemon curd all on its own.

There are countless ways you can dress up a boring old burger. Heck, you can even get creative with the patty — a veggie-friendly version made out of zucchini, perhaps? As for toppings, have you ever thought about plopping an egg on top? Whatever type of meat or non-meat you prefer, an over easy or sunny-side up egg will add an extra kick of protein that won’t overwhelm the rest of the burger’s flavor.

According to Lindsay Livingston, a registered dietician and blogger behind the Lean Green Bean, adding eggs to your morning oatmeal is a great way to make the oats extra fluffy. Even better, you can use a microwave to zap this breakfast up in no time when you're in a hurry.  Livingston uses a whole egg, but you can use just the egg whites if you’d like. She admits her first attempt was a little more egg-flavored than she’d been hoping for, but balancing it out with half a cup of milk helped bring the focus back to the oats. Of course, you can add whatever toppings you’d like to your own bowl, but Livingston went for even more protein with nut butter and some sweet fruit, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.

This is a perfect idea for those who like to separate their yolks from the whites for breakfast or baking. If you don’t want that yolk to go to waste, this method transforms them into a cheese-like substance you can grate or slice onto any meal — or just enjoy on a cracker. You’ll need a mixture of kosher salt and sugar, though slightly more on the salty side.  The amount will depend on how many yolks you want to cure at once. For instance, Bon Appétit recommends 1 3/4 salt with 1 1/4 sugar for four yolks. You can line a glass pan with vegetable spray or baking paper, then pour in half of the sugar-salt mixture. Add small dents for the yolks, then place them on top and pour on the rest of the salt and sugar. Let them chill in the fridge for a few days before letting them dry out in the oven at the lowest heat setting.

The protein and amino acids found in eggs aren’t just good for us humans, but for our four-legged friends, too! The American Kennel Club recommends hard-boiling them as a treat or dietary supplement.They can help keep your dog's coat nice and shiny, and also help settle their upset stomachs. That said, you should always talk to your veterinarian before altering your pooch’s diet too much. As nutritious as eggs are, you want to be careful not to overfeed your pet and cause obesity or other health problems.