A new addition to the menu!
The breakfast sandwich has recently entered my family’s breakfast — and sometimes lunch — rotation because it is a filling, healthy option that is easy and quick to make. I have even started making them ahead and freezing them to have on hand for busy school mornings. It’s a bonus that my kids find them fun to eat as well.
I am not sure why, but in the past I never made breakfast sandwiches at home. Only occasionally did I purchase them at Starbucks or at a bagel store. My family loves them though, and since they are so easy to make, I avoid buying frozen versions to have at home that are highly processed and more expensive. I like knowing what is going in each sandwich, and I can choose different ingredients according to the tastes of my family.
A Simple Sandwich
You can get as fancy as you want with a breakfast sandwich, but the basic components of a great breakfast sandwich are egg, cheese, and bacon or sausage, stacked in between your choice of bread. The possibilities are endless, really, and mostly depend on how much time you have, or want, to spend. We cover the basics of putting together a simple sandwich and making them ahead of time. Then, give you variations to try out.
Enjoy!
Bread
- Bagels, English muffins, sandwich thins, biscuits, or any kind of bread you like.
- Use whole-wheat versions of any of these options to make the sandwich more nutritious, and in some cases, with fewer calories.
- If making multiple sandwiches to serve or to freeze for later, toast the bread in the oven on a baking sheet. If you are baking the eggs, you can do this at the same time.
Eggs:
- Scramble, poach, or fry. You can use egg whites or egg substitutes as well.
- Add chopped ingredients to the eggs as they cook: spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper, broccoli, ham, sausage, or bacon are great optional add-ins.
- Baked eggs: this is an easy option if you are making lots of sandwiches at once to serve to a large crowd or to prepare them for freezing.
- Bake eggs individually in well-greased small ramekins (if using lots of ramekins, place them on a baking sheet for ease), large muffin pans, or the muffin-top pans that are wider and shallower than traditional muffin pans.
- Bake a dozen scrambled eggs in a well-greased 9×13 casserole dish, and cut into squares for the sandwiches.
- To Bake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Bake individual egg portions for 10 minutes, and check on doneness. They may take up to 20 minutes depending on how you like them. For a casserole, bake for 25-30 minutes.
- To Microwave: many people perfect this technique in college, but if you didn’t, cooking a scrambled egg in the microwave is fast and easy. Beat together 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk. Add extra ingredients if you want. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a greased coffee mug (the larger the better), microwavable dish, or silicone cup. Cook for 45 seconds, stir, and then cook for another 30 to 45 seconds, depending on how you like your eggs. While it is still hot, you can top with cheese.
- Any baked egg dish can be used in a breakfast sandwich, like this baked egg with tomato and prosciutto recipe from Mark Bittman.
Cheese
- Any cheese will work. Use slices to put directly on your choice of bread, or sprinkle grated cheese on still-warm eggs before placing on sandwich. Cheddar, Gruyère, and Havarti are some of our favorites.
Breakfast Meat
- Bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon, and ham are traditional pairings. Any variation of these will work: turkey bacon, meatless sausage patties, low-sodium bacon.
- Frozen sausage patties can be convenient, but you can also make your own. Check out this recipe for Homemade Sausage Patties from Lucinda Scala Quinn.
- If you are baking the eggs, you can cook or heat up the breakfast meats at the same time. Just put them in the oven a few minutes before putting the eggs in to cook. For example, cook bacon for 6 minutes before adding the eggs, and they should be done around the same time.
To Freeze and Defrost
- Assemble your breakfast sandwiches and let cool. Wrap the sandwiches individually in plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment paper if you plan to reheat in the microwave or in foil if you want to reheat them in the oven. Wrapping them will reduce their exposure to air in the freezer. Frozen sandwiches wrapped in wax paper or parchment paper can go directly into the microwave to defrost.
- Place wrapped sandwiches in a freezer-safe zip top bag, and label.
- Defrost frozen sandwiches in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or about 1 minute if thawed. You can also reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
- If you want to add ingredients that do not freeze well, such as fresh tomato, add them to the sandwich after reheating.
Variations: Try these ingredients in addition to the traditional egg, cheese, bacon/sausage/ham combinations: avocado, tomato, spinach, arugula, sprouts, fried chicken, sauteed bell peppers, feta, green chili.