It was the crack of dawn on a bleak Sunday. We were both worn out from a week of worry; my husband was finally sleeping so deeply I kept checking his chest to make sure he was breathing. I couldn’t lie awake any longer, so I slipped out of the bedroom to make him a surprise breakfast in bed.

We’d spent the prior days caring for our very sick cat—our family member—which left us exhausted and anxious. I wanted to do something small to brighten his morning and remind him that I loved him.

I opened the cabinets hoping for inspiration and found only the basics: one last russet potato leftover from a casserole, a can of corned beef hash tucked in the back of the pantry, eggs, and bread with no mold. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

I considered hash browns with fried eggs and toast, but I wanted to make something different—something that might lift both our spirits. Then an idea hit: hollow out the baked potato halves, fill them with corned beef hash, create a small well and bake eggs inside. Simple, comforting, and a little inventive.

I kept the preparation straightforward. My nerves were taut and his probably were too, so I avoided any fuss. I scooped the potato flesh into a pan with butter, seasoned lightly, and prepared the corned beef hash in another pan with a touch of butter, garlic salt, and pepper. I packed the potato shells with hash, built up a rim to hold the eggs, cracked eggs into each well, and baked them until the whites were set.

I also crisped the scooped potato pieces in the pan to serve as “home fries” alongside the baked egg boats and toasted a slice of bread. Nothing fancy, just warm, satisfying food made with care.

As I finished, my husband stepped into the kitchen. He hugged me from behind and kissed my cheek, and in that moment I knew the day would be better. The simple act of sharing a modest, thoughtful meal helped ease the tension that had built up over the week.

Update: Nearly two and a half weeks after Gilbert became very ill, he is improving. He’s not completely out of danger and still faces challenges, but we’re committed to keeping him comfortable, loved, and spoiled for as long as we can.

Yield: 2 servings

Twice-Baked “Egg in the Nest” Flannel Potatoes

Ingredients

1 large russet potato, baked
1 (15 oz.) can corned beef hash
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
Garlic salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste
2 small eggs
Garnish with snipped green onions or chives if desired
Toast for two, if desired

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Slice the pre-baked potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides leaving a 1/4″–1/3″ shell. Place potato halves onto a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the scooped potato flesh into a small sauté pan with 2 Tbsp. butter. Season the potato flesh and the potato halves with garlic salt and pepper to taste.
In a second sauté pan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add the corned beef hash and cook according to the can directions until nearly done, seasoning with garlic salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Fill the potato bottoms with half the corned beef hash. Use the remaining hash to build up a rim on each potato half, creating a well for the eggs.
Crack an egg into the center of each prepared potato half and sprinkle with pepper.
Carefully place the potato halves in the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and opaque, about 15–20 minutes.
During the last 8–10 minutes of baking, heat the pan with the scooped potato flesh over medium-high heat and brown the potatoes on one side, then turn and brown the other side. Turn off the heat.
Toast the bread in a toaster.
Serve the flannel potatoes with baked eggs alongside the browned “home fries” and buttered toast. Garnish with snipped green onions or chives if desired.

Notes

*I bake my potatoes wrapped in foil in a 425ºF oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
**Optional additions for the corned beef hash: finely chopped onion, bacon, diced peppers, chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, or ketchup.