Eggs in a Basket (Fried Egg in Toast)

I saw this somewhere and thought this was the cutest idea. It was surprisingly tricky to get it done perfectly. Flipping the whole thing makes it messy because the yolks burst, and it's not pretty anymore. Cooking without flipping risks burning the toast before the egg is done. Toasting the bread prior makes it hard so the egg flows out underneath if the pan's not perfectly flat. And the biggest fail was trying to pour egg white from a carton - those whites were way too runny and flowed underneath out of the bread hole faster than you can say "rats!"

In frustration, I wanted to jab the center of the failed eggy hearts (I never claimed I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, right?).

But after many, many Eggs in a Basket trials, I think I've got it figured it out. The trick - fry only one side of the bread so the second side cooks right along with the egg.
Fun medical fact: In pathology there's quite a few cancers whose cells are classically described as "fried egg" - oligodendriomas (a brain tumor), multiple myeloma plasma cells (a bone marrow cancer) and seminomas /dysgerminomas (testicular/ovarian cancers).

Hey, I'm studying for my medical boards - gotta justify why I spent all morning frying and popping eggs instead of reading.

Ingredients
cooking spray or butter
1 slice of bread
1 egg
pinch of paprika and pepper
shredded cheddar cheese, to garnish
basil, to garnish

Directions