Perfecting hard-boiled eggs is no easy feat. So once you’ve nailed it, you may get the urge to use up an entire carton. Why not, right? Then you can have them on hand for a quick snack, breakfast, or addition to a salad.

Only a few days later you’ll realize: Hard-boiled eggs on their own can be pretty… boring.

So we went searching for innovative, easy, and downright gourmet-tasting ways to use up those protein-packed orbs so you never fall into an egg salad rut. Go ahead and cook the entire dozen—then turn them into these amazing meals.

Breakfast

1. Kale and Ricotta Breakfast Pizza

Pizza can be the perfect breakfast if it’s topped with the proper ingredients. This recipe knows how to do it right, going lighter on the cheese and heavier on the smart toppings like turkey bacon, dementia-fighting kale, and of course, hard-boiled eggs. If it’s simply too early in the morning to roll out a crust, we think a sturdy tortilla would work just as well.

2. Eggs Goldenrod

This classic requires separating the solid egg whites from the yolks, but it’s still super easy. Combine those chopped whites with a thick sauce and drizzle that over toast. Then top with chopped yolk, paprika, and parsley, and dig in! You want both parts of the egg since both contain protein, and the yolk has most of the vitamins and minerals.

3. Breakfast Spanakopita Loaf

The popular Greek pie gets some breakfast-y flair, with hard-boiled eggs nestled between plenty of spinach (giving you more than a day’s worth of vision-aiding vitamin A). Throw some feta into the filling and wrap it all up in delicate puff pastry folds for a delicious morning meal.

4. Hard-Boiled Egg Breakfast Melt

Bored of plain old eggs and toast? With just a few simple and healthy additions like lycopene-rich tomatoes and buttery, fiber-filled avocado, plus a squirt of sriracha for a spicy kick, your boiled egg breakfast goes from ho-hum to one that’s worth waking up for (and Instagramming).

5. Quick Kedgeree

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this speedy spin on an Indian-inspired, traditional British breakfast takes that statement seriously. With flaked fish for heart-healthy omega-3s, brown rice for satiating carbs, chopped hard-boiled eggs for added protein, and peas for a dash of color, it’s a balanced, filling, and tasty way to fuel up for a busy day.

6. Breakfast Quesadillas With Smashed Avocado, Eggs, and Spinach

Who says you can’t have a quesadilla first thing in the a.m.? Eggs hard-boiled in advance, store-bought salsa, and pre-shredded cheese make this morning meal come together in mere minutes. With avocado and spinach joining the fiesta, you’ll be making these for lunch and dinner too.

7. Eggs and Peas on Toast

The pea and avocado combo may have had some skeptics scoffing, but truth be told, it’s a fantastic way to reap the tissue- and cell-building folate from the legumes while getting in filling fats from the avocado. Best of all, the flavors work fabulously together, especially when simply seasoned, piled onto thick pieces of toast, and topped with slices of hard-boiled eggs.

8. Scrambled Hard-Boiled Eggs

When you need to use up those hard-boiled eggs in the fridge but are in the mood for scrambled, add them to a pan with a few raw ones to get the best of both worlds (plus a unique texture combination). A caramelized tangle of onions lends some anti-cancer properties and that deep, satisfying flavor.Onion: nature protection against physiological threats. Suleria HA, Butt MS, Anjum FM. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2015, undefined.;55(1):1549-7852.

Egg Salad

9. CalMex Avocado and Egg Salad

When you want classic egg salad but hate the thought of all that mayonnaise, turn to this heart-healthy recipe to satisfy your creamy craving. Here, thick Greek yogurt and mashed avocados replace the mayo for all of the texture and a fraction of the saturated fat; a handful of spices give the eggs a zesty punch. It may be even better than the original.

10. Easy French Style Egg Salad

Feeling a bit fancy? Give hard-boiled eggs a sophisticated upgrade with Dijon mustard and some chopped cornichons (a schmancy word for those addictive gerkin pickles). With just two tablespoons of mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt if you really can’t with the mayo) in the entire recipe, it’s the perfect reflection of the French philosophy of controlled portions and zero deprivation.

11. Pesto Egg Salad

Take your egg salad to Italy by stirring it into homemade pesto. The classic mix of basil, olive oil, and pine nuts pairs surprisingly well with the incredible edibles, letting them soak up the savory flavors while giving them a dose of antioxidants from the herbs. You’ll happily eat these green eggs in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse…

12. Hummus Meets Egg Salad

If you’re as obsessed with hummus as we are, you may have discovered this genius pairing already. Even if you have, you’ll love this dairy-free recipe, which uses the dip to bind hard-boiled eggs for a spreadable (or simply scoop-with-a-spoon addictive) concoction. With the gluten-free goodness of chickpeas and essential fatty acids of eggs in a single bowl, this is one recipe you’ll put on repeat.

13. Mediterranean Egg Salad

The usual suspects of tabbouli reunite for egg salad, and the results are mouthwatering. Cucumber and raw red onions lend the anti-inflammatory benefits of fisetin (an antioxidant), while olives, sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice give the mix a tangy bite.Fisetin: a dietary antioxidant for health promotion. Khan N, Syed DN, Ahmad N. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 2012, Dec.;19(2):1557-7716. We’re dreaming of this wrapped in a pita with plenty of parsley. Yum!

14. Curried Egg Salad

Known for its cancer-combatting curcumin, curry powder is not just a fragrant addition to this egg salad, but a powerful one too. Hot sauce, Dijon mustard, and cumin complete the spicy flavor profile, though a dollop of mayonnaise and the eggs themselves keep things from seriously overheating.

15. Veggie-Packed Egg Salad

Conventional egg salad is severely lacking in the fiber department, often with a bit of parsley being the only green in sight. Change that by folding a rainbow of finely chopped veggies into the mix like this recipe does. Including everything from celery and cucumbers to carrots and bell peppers not only aids your effort to get your produce servings for the day, it also helps out the color and texture departments too.

Mains

16. Egg and Rapini Casserole

Egg and what??? Rapini is a cruciferous leafy green and a good source of vitamins A and C. If you can’t find it, use broccoli, kale, or spinach because this recipe is too good to pass up! It’s Paleo-friendly and loaded with so many faves: cauliflower, prosciutto, and, of course, hard-boiled eggs. Serve it for dinner or brunch.

17. Egg Masala

Indian food can look intimidating to make, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly and easily this hearty curry comes together. Accompanied by a simple blend of metabolism-revving spices, tomatoes, and garlic, these eggs are perfect with some crusty bread.

18. Capanelle With Hard Boiled Eggs, Capers, and Watercress

Pasta dishes are undoubtedly delicious but can often be depressingly low in protein. This recipe fixes by throwing a few chopped hard-boiled eggs into that pile of carbs. Dressed with olive oil and joined by a few anchovy fillets, this meal is also a treasure trove of essential fatty acids.

19. Easter Egg Fried Rice

With bits and pieces of veggies lying in your crisper, leftover hard-boiled eggs, and a couple of simple seasonings, this is the ideal clean-out-the-fridge meal. Use brown rice rather than white—eating whole grains in place of refined ones may help reduce the risk of diabetes by 16 percent.White rice, brown rice, and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Sun Q, Spiegelman D, van Dam RM. Archives of internal medicine, 2010, Jul.;170(11):1538-3679.

20. Coconut Milk Egg Curry

If most egg curries are too spicy for your taste, temper the heat with a generous pour of coconut milk—not only will it cut the fieriness of the green chilies, but it’s also been shown to raise HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels while decreasing LDL (“bad” cholesterol). Coupled with the eggs—also found to have minimal effects on cholesterol—this is a recipe that defies all sorts of foodie stereotypes.

21. Cauliflower Pasta With Pecorino, Grated Egg, and Pine Nuts

Cauliflower proves its versatility yet again in this recipe, as it makes a perfect addition to eggs and pasta. Caramelized to perfection, it tastes amazing, especially with the addition of sharp, salty pecorino cheese. And it doesn’t hurt that it all comes together in a flash.

22. Lentils, Veggie, and Mushroom Bake

Usually the “surprise” inside meatloaf, hard-boiled eggs go the plant-based route in this veggie bake. Bursting with umami from mushrooms and iron thanks to the lentils, it’s a gluten-free meal that will satisfy carnivores and vegetarians alike.

Sandwiches

23. Avocado, Corn, and Herb Egg Tartines

These rustic, open-faced sandwiches are loaded with freshness thanks to the antioxidant-filled herbs and peppy vinegar dressing that go with the avocado, corn, and eggs. The ingredients may be humble on their own, but when assembled, they make for a pretty plate you’ll want to serve to guests.

24. French Roasted Asparagus, Tuna, and Hard-Boiled Egg Sandwiches

You can have a bistro-style sandwich on your table in minutes. Between the eggs and the oil-packed tuna, this powerhouse of omega-3 fatty acids is a pretty delicious way to keep your brain running in top form. Take that, PB&J!

25. Egg, Tomato, and Scallion Sandwich

With only five ingredients and no fussy garnishes or sauces, the flavors of fresh produce and a perfectly hard-boiled egg really shine through in this handheld. The scallions, tomatoes, and eggs provide a triple-whammy of cancer-fighting properties, making this ridiculously easy creation also a ridiculously nutritious one.

Side Dishes

26. Beet and Avocado Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a staple in backyard meals, but they can be so loaded in mayo or flavorless (depending on which aunt made them this year). These pretty-as-a-picture bites keep all the vitamin-filled goodness of the egg yolks and then add puréed beets for a burst of mauve and inflammation-fighting power. Top with whipped avocado, and the end results look as heavenly as they taste!

27. Asparagus Gribiche

Turn three hard-boiled eggs into a sauce-like garnish in this gribiche, where one yolk gets whisked into a garlicky dressing while the rest get grated on top of crispy roasted asparagus. Along with being a unique take on a regular salad, this ingredient combo will give you folate and iron to help with healthy cell function.

28. No-Mayo Potato Salad

Did you really expect us to leave this off the list? This version is anything but ordinary, with the addition of steak spice and an oil- (rather than mayo-) based dressing. Top with paprika for a dash of color and a hint of smoke.

29. Scotch Eggs

A popular British pub snack gets a major nutritional makeover when it’s coated in lean turkey, rolled in gluten-free flour and flax, and baked. The results are as crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside as the fried original, just loaded with healthier fats.