“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”
-Julia Chil
I love a good omelet. When our youngest daughter was still at home, my favorite thing to do each week was to go out to breakfast with her on Saturday mornings. At the time we lived in the tiny community of Pearl, Texas. And our nearest breakfast spots were found in the neighboring town of Evant. Our favorite was the Elk Stop.
The Elk Stop, named for the local high school sports team mascots – the Elks (and yes, they spell it with an “s”) is a combination convenience store, gas station, and lunch and breakfast stop. In the kitchen there labored a tiny little lady (I am very sorry that I do not know her name) who made the biggest and best omelets in Texas. Full of vegetables and cheese, with your choice of bacon or sausage, these omelets were beyond amazing. It was our favorite menu item (that and their great hamburgers).
While seating at the Elk Stop was available in the upfront store area, they also had a backroom gathering place next to the giant beer coolers with additional tables and chairs. This was our favorite spot to eat. We would often take our chess board to breakfast. Deep conversation and a game of chess with our breakfast omelets made for a special time each week. I miss those mornings with Marigrace. And I often find myself craving a good omelet and more time with my daughter.
While I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and am fairly capable in the arena of food preparation, I have found omelet construction one of the more difficult culinary tasks. I have tried repeatedly over the years to build, cook, and create a good omelet, but have always come up short. Most often my attempts simply turned into mangled scrambled eggs. The hardest part being the flip or folding of the said omelet. I realize that using a modern non-stick pan is a help in succeeding at this step, but I refuse to use them. Non-stick pans are coated with health wrecking PFAS (toxic “forever chemicals”) linked to health issues and serious concerns like cancer and excessive nose hair growth. I use regular stainless steel or cast-iron pans when attempting my omelet construction. Until recently, I’d had no luck.
If you attempt to learn to make a proper French omelet, there are precise directions you must follow. Eggs are whisked just so, herbs and cheese are added, and after cooking your concoction is delicately rolled, leaving you with a custard-like delicacy, neat and tidy.
I prefer the more American-style omelet, filled with vegetables and more cheese, and typically filled with bacon, sausage or ham (or sliced hot dogs if you prefer your omelet redneck style). An American-style omelet is still rolled or folded neatly, and this was always my problem area.
During one of my most recent attempts at omelet construction I made the mistake of seriously over stuffing my omelet. Filled with too much cheese, bacon, and vegetables, when I attempted to fold over the top, the contents spilled out over the edges. My omelet looked like a giant egg taco. But it was beautiful. Over filling had solved my problem. My omelet was not tidy and neat. It was more of a he-man big truck style omelet. But my ugly and mangled omelet problem was solved as long as I over filled it. Overstuffed, all that was needed was an easy token or partial fold over. With colorful red onions, orange and yellow peppers, and red cherry tomatoes escaping over the edges, it looked great. Over filling my omelet was the perfect fix. I call it the imperfect omelet.
For anyone that would like to try this at home, here are the basic assembly instructions for an imperfect manly omelet…
~ First, cook some bacon in the oven (375 degrees for 15 minutes). Be sure to use a pan and put aluminum foil down to catch drips, otherwise your wife might yell at you. After cooking, chop bacon into bits.
~ Next, sauté your vegetables in olive oil (I use one red or white onion, red, yellow, and orange peppers, and cherry or grape tomatoes).
~ Break 3-4 eggs in a large bowl and beat lightly. If you don’t like eggs that are too fluffy or full of air, gently stir with a fork.
~ Cook eggs in another large pan or skillet – low to medium heat – with olive oil, butter, or both.
~ As eggs set, they will look like a giant pancake. Add cheese of your choice first (sharp cheddar is always good).
~ Then add bacon (or meat of your choice – sausage, ham, or hot dogs).
~ Next add vegetables. When adding vegetables, meat, and cheese, aim for one half of pan, leaving other half without filling. This will make eggs easier to fold over.
~ When cheese is melted, gently fold over half like a taco. No need for perfection here. Just flip over top as best you can and let filling spill over the edge.
~ Top with chopped green onions and maybe a dash of paprika if you’re cooking in December (red and green for Christmas).
Enjoy your omelet with a hot cup of coffee and biscuits or a bagel. This is the breakfast of champions. Happy cooking!
© 2026 Jody Dyer
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