I’m lucky. Getting in our back to school routine has been extremely easy. This is mostly due to Jack taking on the role of school parent and making sure Josh is up, fed and at school every morning while I go to work and do the other stuff. And yet, my days are still jam-packed.

An ordinary school/work day for me goes something like this: My eyes open at 5 am and I get up, feel my way down to the kitchen to make coffee and then I slowly ease my way into the day while drinking that coffee and reading the newspaper, facebook, etc.—all online.

Most days I go for a short bike ride before getting in the shower and haul my by-then-already-tired self to work, hoping I don’t arrive too late.

After 9ish hours at my office, I haul even-more-tired self home. I walk in the door, say hi to my guys, kick off my shoes, slip on my crocs and start dinner.

While Josh and Jack set the table I run upstairs to change my clothes. When I get back downstairs, Jack opens some wine and I take a few sips while finishing dinner. Then we sit down, eat and on a good night relax for a few minutes afterwards with the wine left in our glass before we run upstairs to get Josh ready for bed and in it by 8 pm.

Needless to say, the less work required for a weekday dinner, the happier I am. Because of this, one of my favorite dishes to make is “pappas con huevos.”

It’s a simple dish of fried potatoes topped with a fried or poached egg. On a fancy night, I might sprinkle fresh chives over the top, but most nights it’s a splash of hot sauce.

The first time I made it for dinner, Josh couldn’t get over eating eggs at night. But now he loves it. And I love it because it’s so comforting after a long day and it’s also dirt cheap—less than $5 total.

I usually start the potatoes then run upstairs to change. By the time I’m back in the kitchen it’s time to stir the potatoes and start the eggs. Sometimes I’ll serve carrot sticks and cucumber slices on the side other times avocado halves. If I’m really ambitious I’ll sauté some spinach as a side dish. Easy peazy.

Pappas con Huevos
Serves 4

2 large russet or 4 large yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 to 8 large eggs
Chopped chives (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with the salt, garlic powder and pepper and stir to coat evenly with the seasonings and the oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes begin to turn a golden brown. Stir the potatoes and continue cooking until the potatoes are evenly browned on the outside and creamy on the inside, about 20 minutes total.

Fill a large, high-sided skillet with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.

When the water is rapidly boiling, crack the first egg directly into the water. Add all of the eggs and set a time for two minutes (I usually cook no more than 6 eggs in an 8-inch skillet so you may need to cook the eggs in two batches).

While the eggs are cooking, divide the potatoes among three to four shallow bowls.

Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon in the same order they were added to the water. Arrange 1 to 2 eggs over each bowl of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chives and serve with hot sauce.

What to drink: Sangiovese. Well, truth be told, an older Pinot from Burgundy would be my first choice, but really not many people have those on hand, so for a dinner like this an inexpensive Sangiovese would be my second choice. I like a wine that isn’t over-powered by fruit or tannins for eggs, and Sangiovese fits the bill. There are two from Italy I recommend: Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico and Ruffino Chianti.