The 20 best non-breakfast uses for eggs

With some pizza dough from the deli case, the sauce of your choice – both pesto or a simple alfredo work wonders to bring out the creaminess of eggs, some roasted red peppers with a large egg cracked over the center before hitting a hot oven, a bistro dinner is ready in minutes.

Eggs take on another dimension when scrambled eggs dance with vegetables and rice in a hot wok. Want to add bacon? And of course you can always add bacon. 

You can thank eggs for their richness the next time you dig into a a plate of spaghetti alla carbonara, but if you want to make it even more decadent, top with a soft poached egg for an extra river of creaminess.

Take breakfast and make it sandwich! Omelettes, the morning's perfectly customizable dish - peppers, onions, ham, bacon, salmon, herbs, brisket - are the perfect filling for your toast. But since it's dinner time, we'll call it a sandwich.

Gourmet avocado toasts are one of the biggest food trends for 2016, take it one step further and top thick toast and seasoned mashed avocados with poached or soft-cooked eggs. 

Creamy Gruyere bechamel sauce, salty ham, tangy mustard, thick toasted bread, all with fried egg on top? Pair with a small green salad and suddenly dinner takes on a French bistro flair with croque madame.

Steak tartare may seem like something people just ordered in 1980s Wall Street movies, but this simple recipe is easy to create at home with chopped tenderloin, onions, capers, parsley and egg.  

While traditionally a breakfast food, huevo rancheros combine some of the best proteins, eggs and beans, to make for a filling, satisfying dinner after a long day. Tortillas, beans, salsa and an egg? Doesn't get much better than this. 

Want to really kick up your favorite corned beef hash recipe? Slide a couple of fried eggs on top. Want to really make it special, add some mini pierogies to your hash.

Looking to avoid carbs? Crack eggs into avocado halves, season to taste (ancho chili powder is great on these) and bake in a 425º oven and for 10-15 minutes.

Another high-protein, low-carb dish that's easy enough to get from the kitchen to the table in short order, a frittata is a great way to use up leftover, well, anything! All those small bits of meats and vegetables that tend to hide in the fridge take on a new life when baked into a recipe for a frittata. 

Hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage? Yes, this will do quite nicely please. And not just plain, Scotch eggs take well to tomato sauce or even better, served on a bun like a hamburger. 

There is something about the subtleness of leeks instead of onions in a warm, cheesy quiche. What what's great about a quiche like this, the leftovers are great cold the next morning for breakfast. 

You're tired. It's late. You're starving. You're just about to order take-out (again) because you just don't want to wait on how long it takes to cook something, even in the microwave. 

Stop. Put some spinach on a plate with a simple vinaigrette or Italian dressing. Fry two eggs sunny side up in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to desired firmness. Slide of over the spinach and allow it to sit for a minute or two to wilt the spinach. Dinner is done in less time than it takes to decide which delivery app you were going to use. 

Egg drop soup is a classic Chinese restaurant treat that is simple enough to recreate at home as a side or an appetizer, but if a main course is what you're looking for, add sliced tofu and shiitake mushrooms to make a dinner that will satisfy even the pickiest vegetarians (and meat eaters) in the family.

Middle Eastern shakshuka (or shakshouka) is a staple of both dinner and breakfast tables throughout the region. A warm sauce of crushed tomatoes, roasted peppers, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic are the perfect recipe to poach eggs.

Serve with flatbread or a crusty loaf of bread to get every last drop on the plate. 

Everyone has their favorite tricks to dress up a basic egg salad recipe. Try adding things like smoked paprika, Hungarian hot paprika, chopped cornishons or capers, fennel or even bacon.   

There is something so wonderful and summery about a light tomato and asparagus quiche, a reminder that all egg dishes don't have to be heavy. Want a little extra tartness in your pan? Add feta to your quiche. 

You can't have a classic cobb salad recipe – chicken, bacon, blue cheese, tomatoes and avocado with out its star; hard boiled eggs. 

Delicate egg crepes are perfect for filling a recipe with cooked spinach, mushrooms, sausage, avocados or cheese and hearty meal for families with gluten dietary restrictions.