They’re one of the most nutritious foods on Earth and you probably already have them waiting in your refrigerator. Eggs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, high-quality protein, good fats and plenty of vital nutrients like calcium, iron, potassium and zinc. And despite a bad rap decades ago, eggs actually improve your cholesterol levels and don't raise your risk of heart disease.

Nick Korbee, the chef at Egg Shop and author of the restaurant's eponymous cookbook, says the concept came about after he and his partners started to realize how versatile the egg is as an ingredient and how it's sort of transformative. “It can transcend the breakfast station very, very easily and is a major component of dishes,” he says. “It's actually an ingredient that's kind of considered a sidepiece or a filler, and it's about time it gets its due.”

Korbee says an ideal egg is the one you purchase from the farmer—like at a farmers' market—but that's not always possible or convenient. At the grocery store, free-range or pasture-raised is the next best thing. But he also says to largely ignore the marketing gimmicks like omega-three-fortified (most eggs already have plenty) and vegetarian-fed (a natural diet including bugs in pasture-raised chickens makes for richer, better-tasting eggs).

And while a good scramble and hard-boiled egg are reliable standbys, there are so many ways to use an egg. They're inexpensive and easy to work with, so we pulled together seven satisfying dishes that put the carton in your fridge to work.