What makes a great breakfast sandwich? Is it the ease of preparation? Is it in the efficiency of calorie delivery? Is it in the perfection of egg cookery? Or is it about stacking as many ingredients on a biscuit as possible? I’d argue it can be all of these things, or only some of them, depending on the day of the week and your hunger level.
On a lazy weekend morning, the best breakfast sandwich may be one of those towering biscuit creations that requires multiple bowls and more than a few ingredients — plus a knife and fork to eat. On a busy Wednesday, it may be a made-ahead sandwich that you zap in the microwave before running out the door.
No matter your breakfast sandwich needs, a great one includes three things: an egg or two, a carb-based delivery mechanism, and cheese or sauce to glue it all together. The egg-cooking method should depend on the chosen carb; the looser the egg, the sturdier the carb should be. Runny yolks are best served on breads with nooks and crannies, while baked or omelet-style eggs work well on a crumbly biscuit. Melty cheeses can help bind ingredients, while spreadable cheeses and sauces meld into the eggs for a cohesive bite. Breakfast meat like bacon or sausage is great but not required.
RECIPES
These three breakfast sandwich recipes offer a range of complexity and richness. While they can all be made in less than an hour, the Sweet and Savory Biscuit Sandwiches are likely best left for a weekend meal. The Egg and Cream Cheese Sandwiches make a great work-from-home breakfast, and the Sheet Pan Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwiches can be made ahead of time and eaten on the go.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Sweet and Savory Biscuit Sandwiches
If you’re looking for a breakfast sandwich that truly has everything, this hefty biscuit sandwich is it. Two tender buttermilk biscuit halves are piled high with goat cheese-studded baked eggs, breakfast sausage and pepper jelly for sweet and savory flavors in every bite.
To make the sandwiches efficiently first thing in the morning, bake the eggs and biscuits at the same time. By putting the eggs in a loaf pan and biscuits on a quarter sheet pan, they’ll easily fit next to each other on a single oven rack and will finish cooking at the same time. Use a drop biscuit method for mixing the biscuits to minimize work; shaping them into rectangles mimics the shape of the eggs for a cohesive sandwich. Fry the sausage while the biscuits and eggs cook, smashing it down flat in the pan for thinner patties that can easily shingle on top of the eggs. If you’d like to make the sandwiches vegetarian, simply omit the sausage.
- 6 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup chilled buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus room-temperature butter for greasing the loaf pan
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking the sausage (optional)
- 4 fresh breakfast sausage patties, such as Jimmy Dean (optional)
- 1/2 cup pepper jelly
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle. Line a quarter sheet pan or 9-by-13-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Break the goat cheese into almond-size pieces and stir gently into the eggs. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Combine the buttermilk and melted butter in a small bowl. Stir until the butter has formed small lumps, about 30 seconds. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour remains.
- Transfer the biscuit dough to the prepared sheet pan. Press into an 8-by-6-inch rectangle. Use a bench scraper or a butter knife to score into four rectangular biscuits. Pour the eggs into the greased loaf pan. Place both the sheet pan and the loaf pan in the oven and cook until the eggs are set and the biscuits are light brown and baked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
- If using sausage, prepare it while the eggs and biscuits cook. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the sausage patties and smash them flat in the skillet with a large spatula. Cook until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and then break each patty into half moons.
- When ready to assemble, split the biscuits in half. Spread both sides with pepper jelly. Run a thin spatula around the edge of the eggs. Use a spatula to cut the eggs crosswise into four rectangles, then carefully remove the egg loaves one at a time from the pan, transferring to the biscuit bottoms. Shingle two pieces of sausage over the eggs, then top with the remaining biscuit halves. Serve hot.
Serves 4.
Per serving (including breakfast sausage): 818 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 29 grams protein, 60 grams carbohydrates, 18 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 51 grams total fat (24 grams saturated), 389 milligrams cholesterol, 1,158 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Sheet Pan Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
Bodega-style bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches are a tasty, simple breakfast, but making them at home for more than one person can be challenging without a large griddle or multiple skillets on the stove at once. Enter the sheet pan. Baking bacon is a common trick for preparing it in bulk, and if you time it right, you can add eggs to the rendered fat in the pan in the last few minutes. Streamline the cooking even more by popping cheese-topped split kaiser rolls in the oven to warm through while the eggs cook.
A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is also a great make-ahead breakfast, just be sure to break the egg yolks when adding to the sheet pan in step 4.
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 4 kaiser rolls or burger buns, split
- 8 slices American cheese
- 4 large eggs, straight from the fridge
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees with one rack in the middle and one rack nearest to the heating element.
- Place the bacon in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan. Transfer to the oven and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is starting to foam, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the rolls cut-side up on a second sheet pan or cookie sheet. Place the cheese slices on top of both halves of each roll.
- Carefully remove the bacon from the oven. Scoot the bacon to one side of the pan. Tilt the pan so the fat falls over to the empty side. Remove the eggs from the fridge and crack into the bacon fat on the empty side of the pan. (If desired, use a fork to break the yolks. This is recommended if making the sandwich ahead of time.) Lightly season the eggs with salt and pepper.
- Return the bacon and eggs to the oven on the center rack and place the rolls on the top rack. Cook the rolls until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Leave the bacon and eggs in the oven until the bacon is crisp and the eggs are cooked to your liking, 5 to 7 minutes total.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Break each piece in half.
- To assemble, sandwich the bacon and eggs between each roll. Serve, or if making ahead, wrap each sandwich in parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to eat or for up to 3 days. (Freezing is not recommended.) Microwave for 1 minute to heat through.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 677 calories (percent of calories from fat, 67), 30 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 50 grams total fat (21 grams saturated), 288 milligrams cholesterol, 1,820 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Egg and Cream Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches with Kale Salad
Growing up, the most common breakfast sandwich in our house was what we called the “Egg McWilliams,” a well-toasted English muffin with cream cheese and a buttery fried egg. This recipe takes that basic sandwich and builds on it, topping it with a caper- and onion-flecked kale salad.
It’s most efficient to broil the English muffins instead of using a toaster; you can get all four in and out of the oven in less than 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese right after broiling so it warms through. Fry the eggs to your preferred doneness; this recipe provides cook times for both a runny over-easy egg and a jammy over-medium egg.
- 1 packed cup baby kale
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots or red onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped drained capers
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Kosher salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 4 English muffins, split
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- Heat the broiler to high with a rack in the position nearest to the heating element.
- In a medium bowl, combine the kale, shallots, capers, oil and vinegar. Season with a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Toss to combine. Set aside.
- Place the English muffins on a sheet pan, cut-side up. Transfer to the broiler and cook until well-browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the oven and spread the cream cheese on both halves of each muffin.
- Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the butter is foamy, add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the white is almost completely set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 30 seconds (for over-easy eggs) or 1 minute (for over-medium eggs).
- To assemble, place the eggs on the bottom of half of each English muffin. Top with the kale salad and top half of the muffins. Serve hot.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 375 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 13 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 24 grams total fat (12 grams saturated), 230 milligrams cholesterol, 527 milligrams sodium.
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